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This resistance isn't broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

While protests opposing the leadership persist in American cities, demonstrators have embraced the spirit of a local block party. They have taught salsa lessons, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, as officers watch.

Combining levity and political action – a strategy experts term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in recent years, used by various groups.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It began after recordings of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot happening with that small frog costume," states an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups during a political race.

As this image initially spread online, its purpose was to signal certain emotions. Subsequently, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, including one notable meme retweeted by that figure himself, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

Yet its beginnings were not this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

The frog first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he explained his drawing came from his life with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows that creators cannot own icons," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the notoriety of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. A transformation occurred recently, when an incident between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The moment occurred shortly after a directive to deploy military personnel to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate at a specific location, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that delight in the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

While a judge decided that month that the administration had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes when expressing opposition."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber stated. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and troops withdrew from the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted nationwide at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" display that highlights a cause without needing explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

When activists confront the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences