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This resistance may not be televised, though it may feature webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst rallies against the administration continue in American cities, protesters have embraced the spirit of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, as officers look on.

Blending comedy and political action – a strategy researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a defining feature of protests in the United States in this period, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It began when video footage of a clash between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot going on with that little inflatable frog," notes LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by online communities throughout a political race.

When the character first took off online, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

Yet the character did not originate so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has stated about his distaste for its co-option. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

The frog first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he said the character came from his time with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own symbols," explains Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to gather in droves at a specific location, just outside of a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer deployed a chemical agent at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, stating he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The costume fit right in for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog became part of in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the use of troops was illegal.

While a ruling was issued that month that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

Yet already, the frog had transformed into a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol was spotted nationwide 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 rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Visual Story

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" act that highlights a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst 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 historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

As protesters confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences