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This resistance won't be broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and large eyes.

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

While protests opposing the leadership carry on in American cities, protesters are adopting the energy of a community costume parade. They've provided dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers watch.

Combining humour and politics – a tactic researchers call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, used by various groups.

One particular emblem has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It originated when video footage of an encounter between an individual in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations nationwide.

"There's a lot going on with that humble blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on political performance.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

When the meme initially spread on the internet, people used it to signal certain emotions. Afterwards, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, including a particular image shared by the candidate himself, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Participants traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became an inside joke.

But Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

The frog debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he said the character came from his experiences with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that creators cannot own symbols," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

Until recently, the notoriety of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. But that changed on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event came just days after an order to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate at a specific location, near a federal building.

Tensions were high and a officer sprayed pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the inflatable suit.

The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and the city, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire while voicing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The deployment was stopped legally soon after, and troops are said to have left the city.

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

This symbol was seen across the country at No Kings protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Narrative

The link between both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" display that draws focus to your ideas without obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

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

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