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This resistance isn't televised, but it could have webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

As demonstrations against the administration carry on in US cities, demonstrators are utilizing the spirit of a local block party. They have taught salsa lessons, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, as police look on.

Blending comedy and political action – a strategy experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a hallmark of US demonstrations in recent years, embraced by both left and right.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It originated when video footage of a confrontation between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. And it has since spread to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot going on with that little frog costume," states LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to discuss protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by far-right groups during a political race.

As the meme first took off on the internet, people used it to signal specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to express backing for a candidate, including a particular image shared by that figure personally, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Users traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he explained the character came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that we don't control icons," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Previously, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

This incident occurred shortly after an order to send the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to gather in droves on a single block, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and a officer used a chemical agent at the individual, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for Portland, renowned for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that delight in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

While the court ruled that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

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

However, by that time, the frog was now a significant anti-administration symbol for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared across the country at No Kings protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on major websites, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Visual Story

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a cause without needing obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

As protesters confront the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences