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The resistance may not be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

While protests against the leadership continue in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers observe.

Combining comedy and political action – an approach experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a hallmark of American protest in recent years, used by both left and right.

And one symbol has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It started after a video of a clash between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to protests nationwide.

"A great deal happening with that small inflatable frog," says an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to discuss protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by online communities during an election cycle.

As the meme gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

The frog first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he explained his drawing was inspired by his life with companions.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control icons," says Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

Until recently, the association of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The event followed a decision to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an agent sprayed irritant at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for Portland, known for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which claimed the deployment was unlawful.

While a judge decided that month that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she opined. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had become a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises 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 relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a message without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

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