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The resistance may not be televised, but it could have webbed feet and large eyes.

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

Whilst protests opposing the administration carry on in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Mixing levity and political action – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in recent years, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It originated after a video of a confrontation between a man in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to rallies across the country.

"A great deal at play with that humble frog costume," says LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by online communities during a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when the character first took off online, it was used to convey certain emotions. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

Yet its beginnings were not so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that we don't control icons," states Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Previously, the popularity of Pepe resulted in frogs became a symbol for the right. But that changed on a day in October, when an incident between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event occurred shortly after a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

The situation was tense and a officer sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a judge decided that month that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume was now a powerful protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared across the country at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

This item was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Narrative

The link between the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to a message without directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The idea of this approach is three-fold, he says.

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