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The resistance may not be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

While rallies opposing the leadership continue in US cities, participants are utilizing the energy of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, as police watch.

Mixing levity and political action – an approach experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a defining feature of protests in the United States in recent years, adopted by various groups.

One particular emblem has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It began when recordings of an encounter between an individual in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to rallies nationwide.

"A great deal at play with that humble blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups during a political race.

As the meme first took off on the internet, people used it to express specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, including a particular image shared by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

But its beginnings were not this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his distaste for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he stated his drawing came from his experiences with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves the lack of control over symbols," says Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent deployed a chemical agent at the individual, directing it into the opening of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "something milder". However, the video went viral.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that delight in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and the city, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

While the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for wearing chicken suits while voicing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The order was halted by courts subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the frog had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for the left.

The inflatable suit was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Optics

The link between both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a message without obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme you share.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

As protesters take on a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences