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This resistance isn't televised, though it may feature webbed feet and bulging eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While protests opposing the leadership carry on in US cities, protesters are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, as officers observe.

Blending humour and politics – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in recent years, embraced by various groups.

One particular emblem has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It began after recordings of an encounter between an individual in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"There is much at play with that small inflatable frog," says a professor, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who focuses on performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by online communities throughout a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when the character first took off online, it was used to express specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, including a particular image shared by that figure himself, showing the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

Yet Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he said the character came from his experiences with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves the lack of control over icons," states the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the notoriety of this meme resulted in frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The moment occurred shortly after a directive to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and an agent sprayed irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, famous for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which claimed the use of troops was unlawful.

While a judge decided that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a powerful protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared in many cities at No Kings protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on major websites, and rose in price.

Controlling the Visual Story

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

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that highlights a cause without directly articulating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

The idea of this approach is multi-faceted, he says.

As activists take on a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences