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This resistance isn't broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and large eyes.

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

While rallies opposing the government carry on in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered dance instruction, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, as officers look on.

Combining comedy and politics – a strategy experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a defining feature of American protest in the current era, adopted by both left and right.

A specific icon has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It originated when recordings of a confrontation between a man in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. It subsequently appeared to protests throughout the United States.

"A great deal going on with that small frog costume," states LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in political performance.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by extremist movements throughout a political race.

Initially, when the character gained popularity online, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Subsequently, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, even a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

Yet the character did not originate so controversial.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his distaste for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he explained the character was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves the lack of control over icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the popularity of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The moment came just days after a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an agent deployed pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, remarking he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, famous for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that delight in the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the use of troops was illegal.

Although the court ruled that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion the protesters' "known tendency for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber opined. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was halted by courts subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had transformed into a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol was spotted nationwide 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 big international cities abroad.

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

Controlling the Visual Story

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a cause without needing obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a text on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of this approach is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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