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This resistance may not be broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

While demonstrations against the leadership carry on in American cities, protesters are utilizing the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, as police watch.

Combining comedy and politics – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It started after recordings of a confrontation between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to rallies throughout the United States.

"There is much at play with that little inflatable frog," says LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

As the meme initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to signal certain emotions. Later, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.

Yet Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has stated about his unhappiness for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he explained the character was inspired by his life with companions.

As he started out, the artist tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that we don't control symbols," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

For a long time, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs were largely associated with the right. But that changed on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The event occurred shortly after a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an agent used irritant at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the use of troops was unlawful.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber opined. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The action was halted by courts just a month later, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was spotted nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

What connects both frogs together – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that draws focus to your ideas without needing directly articulating them. This is the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

The purpose of such tactics is multi-faceted, he says.

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