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This resistance may not be televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and large eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

While protests against the leadership persist in American cities, participants are utilizing the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Combining comedy and political action – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a hallmark of American protest in the current era, used by both left and right.

And one symbol has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated when a video of a confrontation between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot at play with that little frog costume," states an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's challenging to discuss protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

As the meme gained popularity online, it was used to express certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme retweeted by that figure personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used an inside joke.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Its creator, the illustrator, has stated about his distaste for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and best known for a quirky behavior. 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 companions.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own icons," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the popularity of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred recently, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment followed an order to send the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an ICE office.

Tensions were high and a officer deployed irritant at the individual, targeting the opening of the puffy frog costume.

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

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that delight in the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

Although a ruling was issued in October that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing opposition."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

However, by that time, the frog had become a potent anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume appeared nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Narrative

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that highlights a message without directly articulating them. This is the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a text on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, he explains.

As protesters take on the state, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences