Every Thursday afternoon for 14 weeks, protestors have lined the streets of downtown Kennebunk, waving flags, holding signs and protesting the Trump administration.

It started with less than 40 people, and now the effort has grown to more than 200 protestors each week.

Organized by The Democracy Cooperative and led by Penny Gruen, president of Democrats of the Kennebunks and Arundel, the standouts are a direct response to actions coming out of Washington, D.C.

“We’ve had a lot of people say they’ve never been political before, but they have to do something now,” Gruen said.

Issues like climate change, voting rights, and health care are fueling the protestors, Gruen said.

“I think (protesting together) gives people a huge amount of comfort,” Gruen said. “It’s hard not to smile when people are together.”

Tom Berry, a protestor closely involved with The Democracy Cooperative, said the protests are “organic,” with people choosing to highlight the issues that speak to them on a personal level.

With news constantly coming out of Washington, Berry said people are getting “ticked off.”

While Berry said the actions of the Trump administration can be “scary,” the grassroots uproar of the standouts has been “invigorating.”

“There’s a certain joyous anger, because it’s a focused, loosely organized, spontaneous effort,” Berry said. “It’s amazing to experience it.”

It’s not only the people standing out with signs who are involved in the protests. From 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays, the air is also filled with the sounds of honking and cheering from passersby.

“We have so much support from the people driving by,” Gruen said.

The crowd does receive some opposition as well, although Gruen said it is rare. Occasionally, someone will give the crowd a lewd gesture or shout something out of the window.

“We think the opposition is somewhat confused by all of this,” Gruen said. “There are some people who rev their engine or yell something, but it’s pretty minimal.”

As the protests have grown larger, The Democracy Cooperative is working with the town of Kennebunk to ensure safety for protestors and other community members.

Kennebunk Police Chief Robert MacKenzie has been in contact with the organizers to uphold safety regulations, and organizers are proactive in respecting local businesses, often holding signs to keep people off of the Kennebunk Free Library lawn and out of the Kennebunk Savings parking lot.

In the coming months, Gruen plans to continue the protests, including integrating tourists as summer approaches.

On June 14, The Democracy Cooperative plans to hold a car parade from Kittery to Old Orchard Beach, engaging protestors from many southern Maine communities.

“I have a feeling that if we gave it up, people would still be out there with signs,” Gruen said. “There are people out there with canes that were out there in the 60s, and they’re out there now.”