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The resistance may not be televised, though it may feature webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

As rallies against the administration persist in American cities, participants are adopting the energy of a community costume parade. They have taught dance instruction, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, while officers watch.

Blending levity and political action – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a defining feature of American protest in the current era, used by various groups.

One particular emblem has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It originated when a video of a confrontation between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to rallies throughout the United States.

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

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by online communities throughout an election cycle.

Initially, when this image initially spread on the internet, it was used to signal certain emotions. Afterwards, its use evolved to express backing for a candidate, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became an inside joke.

But its beginnings were not this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he said the character came from his life with companions.

When he began, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own symbols," says Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

Until recently, the notoriety of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. A transformation occurred recently, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

This incident came just days after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, famous for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which contended the deployment was illegal.

While the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was halted by courts soon after, and personnel are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the frog had transformed into a significant anti-administration symbol for the left.

This symbol was seen in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – 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 connects both frogs together – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights a message without needing directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume used, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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