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

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

Whilst demonstrations against the leadership continue in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the energy of a community costume parade. They've provided dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while police observe.

Blending levity and politics – a tactic researchers call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of protests in the United States in recent years, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It started when video footage of a clash between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to rallies across the country.

"There is much going on with that humble frog costume," states a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's hard to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by far-right groups during a previous presidential campaign.

As this image first took off on the internet, it was used to signal certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme shared by that figure personally, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was used a coded signal.

Yet Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his distaste for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

The frog first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he explained the character came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that creators cannot own icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed in early October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment occurred shortly after a directive to send the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves outside a facility, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and a officer deployed pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for Portland, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which argued the deployment was illegal.

Although a judge decided that month that the president had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she stated. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The deployment was stopped legally just a month later, and personnel withdrew from the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had transformed into a potent symbol of resistance for the left.

The costume appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. There were frogs – along with other creatures – 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 online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that highlights a message without explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The purpose of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

As activists confront a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences