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This resistance isn't televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst rallies opposing the government persist in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, while police look on.

Combining levity and political action – a strategy social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a hallmark of protests in the United States in the current era, used by various groups.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It started when a video of a confrontation between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that little blow-up amphibian," says an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

As the meme gained popularity on the internet, it was used to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, even a particular image shared by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became an inside joke.

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

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed 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 quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his experiences with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows that we don't control imagery," says Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The event occurred shortly after an order to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, near a federal building.

The situation was tense and a officer deployed pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating it tasted like "something milder". However, the video went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, famous for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which argued the deployment overstepped authority.

While a judge decided in October that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was halted by courts just a month later, and personnel are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and rose in price.

Controlling the Optics

What brings both frogs together – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a message without needing directly articulating them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

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