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The resistance won't be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

As demonstrations opposing the government continue in US cities, protesters are utilizing the spirit of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, while officers look on.

Combining comedy and politics – an approach experts call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a defining feature of protests in the United States in this period, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It started when a video of an encounter between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. It subsequently appeared to rallies across the country.

"There's a lot at play with that humble inflatable frog," says LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups during an election cycle.

As the meme initially spread on the internet, people used it to convey certain emotions. Subsequently, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, including a particular image retweeted by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a shared phrase.

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

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he explained his drawing came from his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of the internet, the creator tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that creators cannot own imagery," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

This incident came just days after a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Activists began to gather in droves at a specific location, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video spread everywhere.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, famous for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which argued the deployment overstepped authority.

While a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge stated. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The costume was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

This item was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" act that draws focus to your ideas without needing explicitly stating them. This is the goofy costume used, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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