PORTLAND, Ore. — Every night for months, a protester in Portland has stood face to face with federal agents outside the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility — dressed not in black or camouflage, but in an inflatable frog costume. What began as a small act of defiance has become a symbol of Portland’s resistance movement, blending humor, humanity, and courage in the face of escalating federal presence.
A Protest Born from Compassion
The protester, identified by several media outlets as Seth Todd, says their motivation is rooted in care for their neighbors and outrage at the treatment of their community.
“I come out here day in and day out since June because I am worried about my community,” Todd said in an interview. “I don’t want to see anyone treated inhumanely.”
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Todd said they could no longer stay silent after seeing how federal agents treated Portland residents protesting against the Trump administration’s immigration and law enforcement policies.
“It’s unacceptable to deploy ICE officers and federal agents in our city,” Todd said. “This idea that Portland is ‘war-ravaged’ or ‘under siege’ is absurd. The only violence we’ve seen has come from those trying to silence peaceful protest.”
Facing Federal Force — in a Frog Suit
Despite the costume’s humor, Todd’s experiences have been far from lighthearted. Federal agents have repeatedly targeted them and other demonstrators with pepper spray, tear gas, and pepper balls during protests.
In one widely shared video, a federal officer was seen spraying pepper directly into the air vent of Todd’s inflatable frog suit. Todd described the incident as painful but said they refused to back down.
“I don’t want to see my friends, my family, my neighbors treated inhumanely,” Todd said. “If wearing a frog suit draws attention to that injustice, then it’s worth it.”
Right-Wing Media ‘Unmasks’ the Frog
Earlier this week, a right-wing outlet claimed to have “unmasked” Todd, pointing to now-deleted social media posts in which Todd jokingly described themselves as a “little gay nonbinary toad and proud Antifa terrorist.”
The outlet’s framing was criticized as sensationalist and misleading. Todd, who has never been accused of any violence, told reporters the frog suit itself was a way of mocking the false narrative that protesters in Portland are violent extremists.
“I wear this to show how ridiculous it is to call us terrorists,” Todd explained. “It’s absurd — and it highlights how their narrative does more harm than good.”
The Misunderstood “Antifa” Narrative
The controversy stems from President Donald Trump’s ongoing effort to link local protesters to a shadowy “Antifa organization,” despite experts repeatedly clarifying that antifa isn’t a structured group but a loose ideology opposing fascism and authoritarianism.
Trump’s executive order attempting to designate antifa as a domestic terrorist entity drew sharp criticism from legal scholars and civil rights advocates. Todd’s protest, like many in Portland, focuses on opposing excessive federal force and demanding accountability — not organized violence.
Local reporting from The Oregonian and other outlets has consistently debunked federal claims of Portland being “on fire.”
Fact check: Since June, Portland Fire & Rescue responded to just four small fires near the ICE building.
Fact: The last recorded bombing in Portland was in 2008 — long before the protests began.
A Community of Costumed Resistance
Todd isn’t alone in their creative protest. On any given night outside the ICE facility, it’s not unusual to see a crowd of frogs, raccoons, unicorns, and even a polar bear standing side by side with traditionally dressed demonstrators.
“Our reporters counted several animal costumes among about 100 people,” The Oregonian wrote. “The protest remained calm, though officers on the rooftop fired pepper balls when protesters got too close.”
The use of costumes, protesters say, serves a dual purpose: to undercut fear and to expose the absurdity of federal militarization in a peaceful American city.
‘Absurdism as a Weapon Against Fear’
Another costumed protester, Jack Dickinson, who often dons a chicken suit, told Willamette Week that humor has become a strategic tool.
“What they rely on is fear,” Dickinson explained. “By showing up in ridiculous costumes, we show that we’re not afraid. It dismantles their narrative. When they describe Portland as ‘war-torn,’ it’s hard to take them seriously when one of us is standing there in a chicken suit.”
He added that the tactic frustrates officials trying to paint a picture of chaos.
“It feels like we’re winning this,” Dickinson said. “They’re not getting the footage they want. They look ridiculous instead.”
Defiance with Dignity
For Todd, the nightly protests are not about spectacle but about solidarity — standing up for a city and its people.
“Every night I see courage,” Todd said. “People come out even when they’re scared. We face agents in riot gear, helicopters overhead, pepper spray — but we still show up because we believe Portland belongs to its people, not the federal government.”
Todd acknowledges that the frog costume might seem silly at first, but insists it’s meant to challenge both the government’s narrative and the public’s apathy.
“Sometimes you have to be absurd to expose absurdity,” Todd said. “If a frog can make people question what they’re being told — even for a moment — then I’ve done my job.”
A Symbol of Portland’s Spirit
As protests continue, the image of the inflatable frog has come to represent more than one person’s act of resistance. It symbolizes Portland’s distinct blend of humor, defiance, and compassion — a city that responds to militarization not with fear, but with creativity.
While federal agents escalate their tactics, Todd and their fellow protesters say they will keep returning, costumes and all, until their message is heard:
“We’re not terrorists. We’re neighbors. We’re people who care deeply about our community. And we won’t stop standing up for it — even if we have to do it dressed as a frog.”
