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The resistance may not be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

Whilst demonstrations against the administration continue in American cities, participants are utilizing the vibe of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Mixing humour and political action – a tactic researchers call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a hallmark of American protest in this period, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started after a video of a confrontation between an individual in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to protests across the country.

"There is much happening with that small inflatable frog," states LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on political performance.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by extremist movements during an election cycle.

As the character first took off online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to show support for a political figure, even a particular image retweeted by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

This character first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he said his drawing came from his time with companions.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

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

For a long time, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred recently, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment followed a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used a chemical agent at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that embrace the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which claimed the deployment overstepped authority.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and troops are said to have left the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a significant anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was in high demand on major websites, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Optics

The link between both frogs together – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that highlights your ideas without needing explicitly stating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the symbol you share.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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