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This resistance won't be broadcast, yet it might possess amphibious toes and large eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

As rallies against the administration carry on in American cities, protesters have embraced the spirit of a local block party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police watch.

Combining levity and politics – a strategy social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It began when video footage of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to protests nationwide.

"There is much happening with that small frog costume," notes LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in political performance.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by online communities throughout an election cycle.

Initially, when the meme first took off online, it was used to express certain emotions. Afterwards, it was utilized to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he explained his drawing came from his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried uploading his work to the nascent social web, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves the lack of control over imagery," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland went viral.

The moment came just days after a decision to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to congregate outside a facility, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer sprayed irritant at a protester, aiming directly into the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment was illegal.

Although the court ruled that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits while voicing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The action was halted by courts just a month later, and troops are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the frog had become a significant protest icon for the left.

This symbol was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – 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 online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Narrative

What connects both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that calls attention to your ideas without obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, he explains.

When activists confront a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences