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This resistance may not be broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst rallies opposing the administration continue in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the energy of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed snacks, and ridden unicycles, while officers watch.

Combining levity and political action – an approach researchers call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in recent years, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began when recordings of a clash between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to rallies across the country.

"There is much at play with that little inflatable frog," notes a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by extremist movements throughout a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when the character first took off on the internet, it was used to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, even a particular image retweeted by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Users traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed an inside joke.

However Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has stated about his distaste for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

Pepe debuted in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he said his drawing came from his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows the lack of control over imagery," states Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The moment followed an order to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent sprayed a chemical agent at a protester, directing it into the opening of the costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "something milder". But the incident went viral.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which contended the deployment was illegal.

While a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she opined. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the area.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

This symbol was spotted across the country at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was backordered on major websites, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that highlights your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The theory of this approach is three-fold, he explains.

As protesters take on the state, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences