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The resistance may not be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and large eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst demonstrations against the administration persist in American cities, protesters are utilizing the energy of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement observe.

Mixing humour and politics – a strategy researchers call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a defining feature of American protest in the current era, embraced by both left and right.

One particular emblem has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It began when recordings of a confrontation between a protester in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to demonstrations nationwide.

"A great deal happening with that small frog costume," says an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies political performance.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

When the character initially spread online, its purpose was to convey specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to show support for a candidate, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate himself, showing the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed about his disapproval for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he said the character came from his experiences with companions.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows the lack of control over symbols," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Previously, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. But that changed in early October, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The event occurred shortly after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves at a specific location, just outside of an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used irritant at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, famous for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and the city, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes while voicing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops withdrew from the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was backordered on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Optics

What brings both frogs together – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to your ideas without needing explicitly stating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The purpose of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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