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This resistance isn't broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

As rallies against the leadership continue in US cities, participants are adopting the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, as officers look on.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of protests in the United States in the current era, embraced by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It started when video footage of a confrontation between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot going on with that small frog costume," states LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by online communities throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As this image initially spread on the internet, people used it to express specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he said his drawing was inspired by his life with companions.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own imagery," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The event came just days after a decision to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers at a specific location, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer used irritant at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The protester, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying it tasted like "something milder". However, the video became a sensation.

The costume fit right in for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which argued the deployment overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume was seen across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

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

Shaping the Narrative

What connects both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a cause without needing directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The idea of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

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