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The resistance isn't broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

While protests opposing the administration persist in American cities, protesters are adopting the spirit of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, as police watch.

Blending levity and politics – an approach researchers call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in recent years, embraced by various groups.

And one symbol has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It started after a video of an encounter between an individual in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot happening with that small inflatable frog," states a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

When this image first took off on the internet, people used it to convey certain emotions. Subsequently, its use evolved to show support for a candidate, even a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a shared phrase.

But its beginnings were not this divisive.

Its creator, the illustrator, has stated about his unhappiness for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he stated the character came from his life with companions.

Early in his career, the artist experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of online spaces, the creator sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that we don't control symbols," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Until recently, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. This shifted in early October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an agent sprayed irritant at the individual, directing it into the opening of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops was illegal.

While a ruling was issued that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for using unusual attire while voicing opposition."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge stated. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The action was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

However, by that time, the frog was now a significant symbol of resistance for the left.

The costume was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Optics

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights your ideas without explicitly stating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

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

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