A specter is haunting Portland — the specter of amphibians, or at least people dressed as such, in what’s become a regular feature at protests against the Trump administration’s deportation operations. As the White House continues to frame cities like Portland and Chicago as chaotic war zones, demonstrators in inflatable costumes (or sometimes wearing nothing at all) have brought a touch of the surreal and ridiculous to the otherwise grim confrontations with federal immigration forces. But as protests grow in both size and intensity around the country, these freedom frogs and their costumed ilk are increasingly becoming symbols for the demonstrators’ cause, for better or worse.

‘This moment is dangerous. It’s violent. It’s also absurd.’

For protesters, the incongruity of an inflatable co

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