The resistance isn't broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and large eyes.
Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or the plumage of a chicken.
Whilst rallies against the leadership persist in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've provided salsa lessons, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, while police watch.
Mixing levity and politics – a tactic social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of protests in the United States in recent years, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.
A specific icon has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started after recordings of a confrontation between an individual in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations nationwide.
"There's a lot at play with that small inflatable frog," notes a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.
It's challenging to discuss protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups during a previous presidential campaign.
When this image first took off on the internet, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.
The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a shared phrase.
But Pepe didn't start out so controversial.
Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.
Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he said the character came from his life with companions.
As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.
But Pepe lived on.
"This demonstrates the lack of control over symbols," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."
Previously, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.
The moment followed an order to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to gather in droves outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.
Tensions were high and an agent deployed pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the costume.
The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video became a sensation.
The frog suit was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."
The frog was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the deployment was illegal.
Although a ruling was issued in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits while voicing opposition."
"Some might view the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."
The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and troops have reportedly departed the area.
However, by that time, the frog was now a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.
The inflatable suit was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.
The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.
The link between Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."
The strategy is based on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" display that highlights a message without directly articulating them. This is the goofy costume used, or the symbol you share.
Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.
"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."
The theory of this approach is three-fold, he explains.
When protesters confront a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences
A tech enthusiast and gaming aficionado with over a decade of experience in digital media and content creation.
