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The resistance may not be televised, but it could have webbed feet and large eyes.

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

Whilst demonstrations against the leadership carry on in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement observe.

Mixing comedy and political action – a strategy experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in the current era, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began when recordings of a clash between an individual in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, went viral. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"A great deal happening with that humble inflatable frog," says an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's challenging to discuss protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by online communities throughout an election cycle.

When the meme initially spread online, people used it to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, even one notable meme shared by the candidate himself, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Users traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a shared phrase.

But the character did not originate so controversial.

Its creator, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he said his drawing came from his experiences with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of the internet, the creator tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that creators cannot own icons," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. A transformation occurred recently, when an incident between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event followed a decision to send military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to gather in droves at a specific location, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and a officer sprayed a chemical agent at a protester, directing it into the air intake fan of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for Portland, famous for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that delight in the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which claimed the use of troops was illegal.

Although a ruling was issued in October that the president had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

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

The costume appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Visual Story

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a cause without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

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

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