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

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

As protests opposing the administration persist in American cities, demonstrators are utilizing the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Mixing comedy and politics – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a hallmark of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began after video footage of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to protests throughout the United States.

"A great deal happening with that little frog costume," says a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on political performance.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by far-right groups during a political race.

When the character initially spread online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to endorse a political figure, including a particular image shared by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", became a shared phrase.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his disapproval for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

The frog debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to new websites, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows the lack of control over icons," says the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

Previously, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. A transformation occurred recently, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment followed a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an agent used irritant at a protester, directing it into the opening of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident spread everywhere.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, known for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that revel in the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

While the court ruled in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits while voicing dissent."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge opined. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume was now a powerful protest icon for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was backordered on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Visual Story

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that draws focus to your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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