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The resistance isn't broadcast, yet it might possess amphibious toes and large eyes.

It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst demonstrations against the government continue in American cities, demonstrators are utilizing the spirit of a local block party. They've offered salsa lessons, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, while police observe.

Mixing humour and political action – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in the current era, embraced by both left and right.

One particular emblem has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began after a video of a confrontation between a man in an amphibian costume and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, went viral. From there, it proliferated to protests throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that little inflatable frog," says a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout a political race.

When this image initially spread online, people used it to signal certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, even a particular image endorsed by that figure himself, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

Yet its beginnings were not so controversial.

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

The frog debuted in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he stated his drawing came from his life with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that we don't control symbols," explains Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Previously, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after a decision to deploy military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves on a single block, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer used irritant at a protester, directing it into the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which claimed the use of troops was illegal.

While the court ruled that month that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes while voicing opposition."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and personnel are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the frog had become a powerful protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared across the country at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was backordered on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Optics

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

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

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

The purpose of such tactics is three-fold, he explains.

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