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The resistance isn't televised, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or the plumage of a chicken.

As protests against the leadership continue in American cities, participants are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement observe.

Mixing comedy and politics – a tactic social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of American protest in recent years, adopted by both left and right.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It originated after a video of an encounter between an individual in an inflatable frog and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, went viral. From there, it proliferated to rallies throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that humble inflatable frog," states a professor, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to discuss protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by online communities throughout an election cycle.

Initially, when the character initially spread online, people used it to convey certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

Yet Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

The frog first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained his drawing came from his experiences with companions.

As he started out, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

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

Previously, the popularity of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after a directive to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an agent sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, quipped, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

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

Although a judge decided in October that the president had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing opposition."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she opined. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The order was stopped legally just a month later, and troops withdrew from the area.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a significant symbol of resistance for the left.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests last autumn. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on major websites, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Visual Story

What brings both frogs together – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject 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, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

The purpose of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

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