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

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

While demonstrations opposing the administration persist in US cities, protesters are adopting the vibe of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, as officers look on.

Mixing humour and politics – an approach researchers call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It started after video footage of a confrontation between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There is much at play with that small blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

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

Initially, when this image initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to express certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to endorse a political figure, including a particular image retweeted 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 historical dictator. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

But the character did not originate this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

This character debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he stated the character was inspired by his time with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, 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," states Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

This incident occurred shortly after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an agent sprayed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the deployment overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided that month that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire while voicing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she wrote. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

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

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a potent protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Controlling 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."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a cause without directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the meme you share.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of this approach is three-fold, he says.

When activists take on authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences