The Portland Frog Brigade was born in 2025, when a brave protester wearing an inflatable frog costume (known as Toad) was pepper-sprayed by federal agents in riot gear outside Portland’s ICE facility. The image of a cartoon frog facing off against a wall of heavily-armored men was so strikingly absurd that it cut straight through the noise and brought home the reality that our government is treating peaceful citizens as enemies.

From that moment, the frog became a symbol of resistance that refuses to lose its joy. The Brigade took inspiration from Toad — who continues protesting independently from the PFB — and grew as so many others, entirely unaffiliated with the PFB, donned inflatable animal suits and joined protests across the country and around the world.

The Frog Brigade is a loosely-organized coalition of artist-activists who love their country, and believe it’s worth fighting for in adherence with our Rules of Engagement, with our weapon of choice: art.