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This resistance won't be televised, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

As demonstrations opposing the administration continue in American cities, protesters are utilizing the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, while officers observe.

Mixing humour and politics – a strategy social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in this period, used by both left and right.

A specific icon has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It started when a video of a confrontation between a protester in an amphibian costume and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations across the country.

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

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

When the character initially spread online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, even one notable meme retweeted by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

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

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he stated the character was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control imagery," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. But that changed in early October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event followed a decision 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.

The situation was tense and an agent sprayed irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although a ruling was issued in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for using unusual attire while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the city.

But by then, the frog was now a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" display that highlights your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit used, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, he explains.

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