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This resistance may not be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst demonstrations opposing the administration persist in US cities, participants have embraced the energy of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, as police watch.

Blending humour and politics – a tactic social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of American protest in recent years, adopted by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It originated when a video of a confrontation between a protester in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to protests across the country.

"A great deal at play with that humble frog costume," says a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in political performance.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by extremist movements throughout a political race.

Initially, when the character first took off online, it was used to signal certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme retweeted by that figure personally, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a coded signal.

Yet its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Its creator, the illustrator, has stated about his disapproval for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that creators cannot own imagery," explains Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

For a long time, the association of this meme resulted in frogs became a symbol for the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment followed an order to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer sprayed irritant at the individual, targeting the opening of the inflatable suit.

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume fit right in for the city, famous for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which argued the deployment was illegal.

While a judge decided in October that the president had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and troops are said to have left the city.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The costume was seen nationwide at No Kings protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Optics

What brings both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" display that highlights a cause without directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

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