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The resistance won't be broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and large eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or the plumage of a chicken.

As rallies opposing the government carry on in American cities, demonstrators have embraced the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Mixing humour and political action – a strategy social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in the current era, used by various groups.

And one symbol has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It began after video footage of an encounter between a protester in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that small inflatable frog," notes a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on political performance.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by online communities throughout a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when this image first took off online, people used it to express specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate himself, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a shared phrase.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he said the character was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted recently, when an incident between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

This incident occurred shortly after a directive to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

Tensions were high and an agent deployed a chemical agent at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for Portland, known for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

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

Although a judge decided that month that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for using unusual attire while voicing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber stated. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The deployment was stopped legally soon after, and troops are said to have left the city.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a powerful anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was seen 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 small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was sold out on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that calls attention to a message without needing explicitly stating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The purpose of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

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