November 12, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
The Stand Up Speak Out (SUSO) group continues to attract new supporters, as evidenced by the 4,100 people who turned out to protest at the No Kings Day #2 rally at Hingham Bathing Beach Oct. 18, with the line stretching for a quarter mile.
“We joined and collaborated with Indivisible Hingham-Hull and other local groups and individuals that day,” Hull resident Vinny Fanuele – co-organizer of the group with Hingham resident Izzy Gilmartin — told the Hingham Anchor. “It was an amazing No Kings Day #2 event all over the country, and our numbers that day were more than double the attendance during the [earlier] first rally.”
Some protestors “took buses while others carpooled or walked,” Gilmartin noted.
Stand Up Speak Out has approximately 250 subscribers, with a focus on “democracy, free speech, and due process for all.”
For 39 consecutive weeks, the group has held a weekly standout in front of the post office and St. Paul Church in downtown Hingham on Wednesday mornings, rain or shine – holding colorful and creative signs protesting the policies of the Trump administration – and they have no intention of stopping.
In fact, the number of participants continues to grow, including residents of Hingham, Cohasset, Hull, Scituate, Weymouth, Marshfield, other South Shore communities, and beyond.
‘Change starts at the grassroots level’
“This is a community-based effort,” Gilmartin said. “Change starts from the grassroots level. I don’t think much will change if we don’t care about each other.”
The weekly SUSO newsletter is a way for supporters to stay in touch between standouts, listing local demonstrations in other communities they might wish to join, as well as news and resources – including the contact information for congressional representatives to protest a specific issue – and even book recommendations and cartoons. There’s also an “Ideas, Exchanges, Opinions, Perspectives” column for input from supporters about shared matters of concern.
“When I was asked to join the newsletter staff, I was happy to – I had a thousand ideas!” Gilmartin said.
Participating in these standouts affords the opportunity to “keep motivated and develop supportive relationships through protest and our newsletter,” Fanuele said. “I do what I do because there are people sitting around worried and stewing over current events who can find a sense of camaraderie among those who are like-minded and realize they are not alone.”
The standouts at the bathing beach continue, every first and third Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. There’s also a protest in Hull on the second Saturday of the month, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., across from Dunkin’ on the water side.
‘These rallies provide a sense of hope and motivation’
“We started with about 50 weekly participants for the Wednesday standouts, and now there are about 110 average, sometimes more. There’s good attendance even on a rainy day,” Fanuele said. “These rallies provide a shot of adrenaline and a sense of hope and motivation to keep moving forward.”
Gilmartin noted that on one occasion, a California resident planning a visit to a family member in Hingham who was aware of the weekly gatherings “made it a point to be here on a Wednesday so they could join the protest.”
While the group has in the past tended to attract an older crowd, there’s an ongoing effort to include more participants of all ages who share a common mission – including students.
“There are lots of older residents holding signs about various issues,” Fanuele noted. “Many of them have protested in the past” – and their continuing efforts are appreciated.
People show up “in wheelchairs, with walkers, and in the Linden Ponds van. The thoughts they share provide a foundation for me as a younger participant,” Gilmartin, 29, explained.
Attendance “falls under a very large tent – from socialists to Democrats to Republicans to unenrolled,” she said. “We share ideas and learn from each other.”
‘We have to try to make a difference’
Stand Up Speak Out Founder Pat Granahan, 97 — who attends the standouts regularly – expressed appreciation for those who “automatically” come out every week to support the group’s cause. “The truth is always there; you just have to find it,” she told the Hingham Anchor. “We have to try to make a difference in the world to make it better.”
Stand Up Speak Out is organizing a food drive to benefit the Hingham, Weymouth, and Wellspring Multi-Service Center food pantries. For more details, visit https://www.hinghamanchor.com/stand-up-speak-out-group-collecting-for-local-food-pantries/.
For more information or to sign up for the newsletter, email standupspeakout.ma@gmail.com. This is a secure email, and no information is shared with outside parties.
Love the article. I am showing up.