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

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

Whilst rallies opposing the government carry on in US cities, participants have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've provided salsa lessons, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, while police look on.

Combining comedy and politics – a tactic researchers term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, embraced by various groups.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of a clash between a protester in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to rallies throughout the United States.

"There is much at play with that humble blow-up amphibian," says an expert, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by online communities during a political race.

When this image initially spread online, its purpose was to signal certain emotions. Afterwards, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, even one notable meme shared by the candidate himself, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed an inside joke.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his unhappiness for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

The frog debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he said the character came from his life with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They transform and be repurposed."

For a long time, the association of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed in early October, when an incident between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The event came just days after a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of a federal building.

The situation was tense and an agent used a chemical agent at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident went viral.

The costume fit right in for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a judge decided that month 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 while voicing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she stated. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The order was stopped legally just a month later, and troops are said to have left the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

The costume appeared across the country 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 like Tokyo and London.

This item was in high demand on major websites, and rose in price.

Shaping the Visual Story

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

The strategy rests on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to your ideas without needing directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The purpose of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

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