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This resistance won't be televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst demonstrations opposing the leadership continue in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement observe.

Combining humour and political action – a tactic experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in the current era, embraced by both left and right.

And one symbol has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated when video footage of an encounter between a protester in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to rallies nationwide.

"There is much at play with that small blow-up amphibian," notes a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by online communities throughout a political race.

When the meme first took off online, people used it to express certain emotions. Afterwards, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, including a particular image endorsed by that figure himself, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in offensive ways, portrayed as a hate group member. Users traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.

Yet its beginnings were not so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe debuted in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which follows Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows the lack of control over icons," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. But that changed in early October, when an incident between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

This incident followed a directive to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed irritant at a protester, directing it into the opening of the inflatable suit.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "something milder". But the incident went viral.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and the city, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

While a ruling was issued in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The action was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

The costume was seen across the country at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was sold out on major websites, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Visual Story

What brings the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a cause without needing directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"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 purpose of such tactics is three-fold, he explains.

As activists confront authority, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences