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This resistance isn't televised, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

While rallies opposing the leadership continue in US cities, demonstrators are utilizing the vibe of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, while officers look on.

Mixing comedy and politics – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a defining feature of US demonstrations in recent years, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It started after a video of a clash between a protester in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to protests across the country.

"There is much happening with that little inflatable frog," notes a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by online communities throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When the character first took off online, it was used to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure himself, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Participants traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

However the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Its creator, the illustrator, has stated about his distaste for its co-option. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

This character debuted in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which follows Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained his drawing came from his experiences with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over imagery," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. But that changed in early October, when an incident between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment occurred shortly after an order to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to gather in droves at a specific location, just outside of a federal building.

The situation was tense and a officer sprayed irritant at a protester, directing it into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "something milder". However, the video went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that delight in the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which argued the deployment was illegal.

While a judge decided that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she opined. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and troops withdrew from the area.

Yet already, the amphibian costume was now a potent symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

This symbol was spotted nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Optics

What connects the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights your ideas without obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol circulated.

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

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – 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.

As protesters confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences