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

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

Whilst rallies opposing the government carry on in US cities, participants have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They've provided dance instruction, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, as police observe.

Mixing humour and politics – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in recent years, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It began after video footage of an encounter between a man in an inflatable frog and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, went viral. It subsequently appeared to protests across the country.

"There is much going on with that little frog costume," states a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.

From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when the meme gained popularity on the internet, people used it to express certain emotions. Subsequently, it was deployed to express backing for a candidate, even a particular image shared by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

Yet the character did not originate so controversial.

Its creator, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he stated his drawing was inspired by his experiences with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over symbols," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed recently, when a viral moment between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event occurred shortly after a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and an agent used pepper spray at the individual, targeting the opening of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "something milder". However, the video went viral.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which argued the use of troops was illegal.

While the court ruled that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits while voicing opposition."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she wrote. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The deployment was stopped legally soon after, and troops are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the frog had transformed into a significant protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was in high demand on major websites, and rose in price.

Controlling the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to a cause without needing explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go 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 idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, he says.

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