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The resistance won't be broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and protruding eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

While demonstrations opposing the leadership persist in American cities, participants are adopting the spirit of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, as officers watch.

Mixing comedy and politics – a strategy researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a hallmark of American protest in recent years, embraced by both left and right.

A specific icon has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of a clash between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. And it has since spread to rallies throughout the United States.

"There's a lot going on with that humble frog costume," notes a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by far-right groups during a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when the meme first took off on the internet, it was used to express specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, including a particular image shared by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Users traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became an inside joke.

Yet its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he stated his drawing was inspired by his life with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, the creator tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over symbols," says the professor. "They transform and be reworked."

Previously, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

This incident occurred shortly after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to gather in droves at a specific location, near a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used pepper spray at the individual, targeting the air intake fan of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video spread everywhere.

The frog suit was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

While a judge decided that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge stated. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The order was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The costume was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was in high demand on major websites, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Optics

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a cause without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

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