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The resistance isn't televised, but it could have amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

As rallies against the leadership carry on in American cities, participants have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They have taught salsa lessons, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Mixing comedy and politics – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in recent years, embraced by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It began when a video of a clash between a man in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"A great deal at play with that little inflatable frog," states an expert, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in political performance.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by online communities during a previous presidential campaign.

When the meme first took off on the internet, people used it to convey specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, including a particular image shared by the candidate himself, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used an inside joke.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

This character debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he stated his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, the creator sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," states the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

Until recently, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. A transformation occurred in early October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The moment occurred shortly after a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an ICE office.

Tensions were high and a officer used pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "something milder". But the incident spread everywhere.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, known for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol was also referenced in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled in October that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she opined. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The deployment was halted by courts just a month later, and troops withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The inflatable suit was seen in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was backordered on major websites, and rose in price.

Controlling the Visual Story

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" display that draws focus to your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He authored a text on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

The purpose of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

When activists confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences