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The resistance isn't televised, but it could have webbed feet and large eyes.

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

While demonstrations opposing the administration persist in American cities, demonstrators have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while officers observe.

Combining levity and politics – a strategy experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a defining feature of American protest in recent years, used by various groups.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It originated when a video of a clash between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to rallies throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that little frog costume," states a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by online communities throughout an election cycle.

Initially, when this image initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to signal certain emotions. Afterwards, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme retweeted by that figure himself, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

However Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his unhappiness for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and best known for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his life with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control icons," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event followed a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent used a chemical agent at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking he had tasted "something milder". However, the video went viral.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which contended the use of troops was illegal.

While a ruling was issued in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was stopped legally just a month later, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had become a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol was seen nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was sold out on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Optics

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to a message without needing obviously explaining them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

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

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