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This resistance isn't televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

As rallies against the leadership carry on in American cities, demonstrators are utilizing the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided salsa lessons, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, while police watch.

Mixing humour and politics – a strategy researchers call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in the current era, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It started when recordings of a confrontation between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, went viral. It subsequently appeared to protests across the country.

"There's a lot going on with that small blow-up amphibian," states an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As this image initially spread online, people used it to convey specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to express backing for a candidate, even a particular image endorsed by that figure personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Online conservatives exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

This character first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his life with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that we don't control imagery," states the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

Previously, the notoriety of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The event came just days after a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the ventilation of the costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage went viral.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for Portland, known for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

While a judge decided in October that the administration had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits when expressing opposition."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts just a month later, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

But by then, the frog was now a significant protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Narrative

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The purpose of such tactics is multi-faceted, he explains.

As activists take on a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences