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The resistance isn't 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.

While demonstrations opposing the leadership carry on in American cities, demonstrators are utilizing the energy of a community costume parade. They have taught salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, as police look on.

Blending levity and political action – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of US demonstrations in recent years, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It began when video footage of a clash between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to rallies throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that small frog costume," states a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies creative activism.

From Pepe to Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

As this image gained popularity online, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, even a particular image shared by that figure himself, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Participants traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a shared phrase.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he explained his drawing came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that we don't control imagery," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event followed a decision to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, near a federal building.

Tensions were high and a officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video became a sensation.

The costume fit right in for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, 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 Portland, which claimed the deployment was unlawful.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The action was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume was now a powerful anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

The link between the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a message without directly articulating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book 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 indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

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