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The resistance may not be televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

Whilst demonstrations opposing the leadership persist in US cities, protesters are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while police look on.

Blending humour and politics – a tactic social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It began when video footage of a clash between a man in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There is much at play with that little frog costume," says LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

As this image first took off on the internet, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a candidate, including a particular image shared by that figure himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed a shared phrase.

Yet the character did not originate this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he said his drawing came from his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that creators cannot own symbols," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Previously, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after an order to send the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at the individual, targeting the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

While the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for using unusual attire while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The deployment was halted by courts soon after, and troops are said to have left the area.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit was spotted 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 big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was backordered on major websites, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Visual Story

The link between both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that calls attention to your ideas without needing explicitly stating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The theory of this approach is multi-faceted, he explains.

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