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This resistance may not be televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

While demonstrations opposing the government persist in US cities, protesters are adopting the spirit of a local block party. They've offered salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement watch.

Combining humour and political action – a strategy researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of American protest in this period, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of a clash between an individual in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to rallies throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that humble frog costume," states a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When the character first took off on the internet, it was used to signal certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to endorse a political figure, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate himself, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a shared phrase.

But its beginnings were not this divisive.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that creators cannot own icons," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Previously, the popularity of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. But that changed in early October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event followed a directive to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an ICE office.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer used irritant at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, quipped, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident went viral.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for Portland, renowned for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which argued the use of troops was unlawful.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber stated. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts just a month later, and personnel withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume was seen across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Visual Story

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a message without explicitly stating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The purpose of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

As protesters confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences