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The resistance won't be broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and large eyes.

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

Whilst rallies opposing the administration continue in US cities, participants have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've provided salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, as officers look on.

Mixing comedy and politics – a tactic social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It started after video footage of a clash between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that small blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by far-right groups during an election cycle.

As this image gained popularity on the internet, it was used to convey certain emotions. Afterwards, it was deployed to endorse a political figure, including one notable meme shared by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was used an inside joke.

But its beginnings were not this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his disapproval for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

This character first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he explained his drawing came from his life with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over symbols," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Previously, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a viral moment between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment occurred shortly after a decision to deploy military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

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

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing opposition."

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

The deployment was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared across the country at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was backordered on major websites, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of this approach is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

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