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This resistance won't be broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

As demonstrations against the leadership continue in American cities, participants have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've provided salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while police look on.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy researchers call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in this period, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It originated after recordings of a confrontation between a protester in an amphibian costume and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to protests across the country.

"There's a lot happening with that humble inflatable frog," says LM Bogad, who teaches 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 protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements during a political race.

Initially, when this image initially spread online, it was used to express specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, including one notable meme shared by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed an inside joke.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

Pepe debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he said his drawing came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," says Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the association of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The event came just days after an order to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, directing it into the opening of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident went viral.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and troops withdrew from the area.

But by then, the frog had become a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Narrative

The link between the two amphibian symbols – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" display that highlights a message without directly articulating them. This is the goofy costume used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

As activists take on the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences