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The resistance won't be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst protests opposing the government persist in US cities, protesters are utilizing the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, as police watch.

Blending levity and political action – a strategy researchers term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of US demonstrations in this period, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began when a video of a clash between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"There is much going on with that little frog costume," states LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on political performance.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by online communities throughout a political race.

Initially, when this image first took off online, it was used to signal specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, including one notable meme shared by that figure himself, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became an inside joke.

However the character did not originate as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for its co-option. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he said his drawing was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows the lack of control over symbols," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Previously, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The moment occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed a chemical agent at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident spread everywhere.

The costume fit right in for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

Although a judge decided in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion the protesters' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge opined. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The action was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the area.

But by then, the frog was now a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume appeared in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Mastering the Optics

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

The strategy relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a cause without directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The purpose of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

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