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

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

Whilst protests against the administration carry on in American cities, protesters have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, as police observe.

Blending levity and political action – a tactic social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a defining feature of US demonstrations in the current era, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began after a video of a clash between a protester in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations nationwide.

"There's a lot happening with that little blow-up amphibian," notes a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

When the meme gained popularity online, it was used to express specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, including a particular image endorsed by that figure himself, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

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

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he stated the character came from his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," explains Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Previously, the association of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed in early October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

The event followed an order to send military personnel to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate on a single block, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and a officer used pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, remarking it tasted like "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

The costume was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided that month that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and troops withdrew from the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume was now a powerful symbol of resistance for the left.

This symbol was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

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

Mastering the Narrative

What connects both frogs together – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a cause without obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text 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 speak the truth a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

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

When protesters confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences