"I've eaten spicier tamales" This is why people in Portland are protesting against ICE in animal costumes

Protesters in Portland are dancing in inflatable animal costumes against the US immigration authority ICE. They want to show how "ridiculous" it is to call them "violent terrorists".

In the US city of Portland, there are currently repeated demonstrations against the immigration authority ICE. What is special about this is that more and more protesters are wearing inflatable animal costumes.

The movement was started by Seth Todd. He is also known as the "Portland Protest Frog" or "Freedom Frog". He became known through a video that went viral in recent weeks.

A short video shows how a participant in an anti-ICE demonstration falls to the ground. The 24-year-old Seth Todd then intervenes in his frog costume, whereupon a police officer aims pepper spray at the costume's air intake. Todd later commented dryly on the scene: "I've definitely eaten spicier tamales."

Since the summer, Todd has repeatedly appeared at various demonstrations in the eye-catching frog costume to protest against the current migration policy. "I want to show how ridiculous it is to call us violent terrorists," he told the media.

In the meantime, the website operationinflation.com has also been launched. Anyone who donates 35 dollars there will finance an inflatable costume, which will then be distributed free of charge to participants in demonstrations in Portland. The costumes also serve as protection against pepper spray, for example.

"We make them look ridiculous"

More and more people are now taking part in the protests in imaginative costumes, including frogs, raccoons, unicorns and chickens. "If you're going to ridicule it and say we're evil, then we're going to ridicule it by showing how evil you are," one participant tells NBC.

The demonstrators go on to explain to NBC that the colorful, inflatable costumes and dancing in the streets are meant to show the joie de vivre and community spirit of their movement. At the same time, they want to contradict the image that the Trump administration paints of Portland as an allegedly crime-ridden "war zone".

California Governor Gavin Newsom - who has repeatedly lashed out against Trump - is also using the campaign to mock the government on social media: "Portland is ravaged by war! SHUT DOWN THE CALIFORNIAN NATIONAL GUARD!", he wrote on X. Below is a video of protesters in various costumes.