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The resistance won't be televised, but it could have webbed feet and bulging eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While demonstrations against the government continue in US cities, participants are utilizing the spirit of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Mixing humour and politics – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by both left and right.

One particular emblem has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It started after video footage of an encounter between a protester in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There is much going on with that small frog costume," notes LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

As the character initially spread on the internet, people used it to signal certain emotions. Later, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", became a shared phrase.

However the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his unhappiness for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which documents the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he explained his drawing came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows that creators cannot own symbols," says Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the popularity of this meme meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when an incident between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment came just days after a directive to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer used irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

While a ruling was issued that month that the administration had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes when expressing their disagreement."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge wrote. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and troops withdrew from the area.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant symbol of resistance for the left.

The costume appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on major websites, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Optics

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

The strategy relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that draws focus to a message without obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The purpose of this approach is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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