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The 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 rallies against the government persist in US cities, participants have embraced the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Combining humour and political action – an approach experts call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of American protest in this period, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started after a video of a confrontation between an individual in an amphibian costume and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"A great deal going on with that humble frog costume," states LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by online communities during an election cycle.

When this image gained popularity on the internet, it was used to signal certain emotions. Afterwards, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, even a particular image shared by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used an inside joke.

However the character did not originate this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he stated the character was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows that we don't control icons," says Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

This incident followed a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers at a specific location, just outside of an ICE office.

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

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

The costume fit right in for the city, famous for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

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

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," she wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

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

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

The inflatable suit was seen nationwide at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to your ideas without explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume used, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"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 purpose of such tactics is multi-faceted, he explains.

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