Some Democrats uneasy with their leadership’s firm opposition to reopening the federal government privately admit they fear backlash from their party’s left-wing faction if they vote in favor of a Republican-backed funding measure.

Grassroots activists angered by the Trump administration have been urging Democratic lawmakers to stand their ground. On Saturday, crowds attended “No Kings” demonstrations across the country to protest President Donald Trump’s policies.

Within that context, Democrats recognize they could face significant criticism from the party’s progressive wing if they reopen the government without securing policy concessions.

“People are going to get hammered” if they vote for the House-passed measure to fund the government through Nov. 21, said one Democratic senator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal party deliberations.

A second source familiar with the internal dynamics of the Senate Democratic caucus told The Hill ahead of the “No Kings” protests that centrist senators are hesitant to break ranks with party leadership while Democratic activists mobilize nationwide anti-Trump demonstrations.

“We would have enough votes” to reopen the government “if people were not terrified of getting the guillotine,” the second person told The Hill.

Just three members of the Democratic caucus have voted with Republicans in the Senate to reopen the government: Sens. John Fetterman (Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) and Angus King (Maine), an Independent who caucuses with Democrats.

On Thursday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) became the fourth Democrat to express concern over her party’s firm opposition to what would typically be considered routine funding measures, voting to advance an $852 billion defense appropriations bill, the outlet noted.

Liberal activists criticized votes to fund the Department of War and to reopen the government without Republican concessions on healthcare, describing them as “baffling” and a “mistake.”

“Sens. Shaheen, Cortez Masto, and Fetterman voting with Republicans today is baffling,” said Andrew O’Neill, the national advocacy director at Indivisible, a left-wing group.

“This was not a good faith effort from Republicans to end the shutdown with bipartisan negotiations,” he added. “It was GOP political theater, and these three Democrats joined right in.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) rejected the criticism from liberal activists, defending his vote for the defense spending bill as an effort to protect military families who could be forced to rely on food banks if their paychecks were interrupted during the shutdown.

“I voted yes to pay our service members. That’s service members over party. That’s not baffling to me,” he said.

The growing divisions among Democrats have encouraged Republicans, who are hoping centrist members of the opposing party will feel increasing pressure to break ranks.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has said he will continue bringing the House-passed continuing resolution to the floor, aiming to secure at least five additional Democratic votes needed to reopen the government.

Several Democratic senators privately acknowledge that some of their colleagues want to resolve the funding impasse but fear that doing so could provoke a backlash from liberal activists and jeopardize their political futures.

“Are there enough Democrats to join Republicans to reopen the government? Not in the near term,” said the Democratic senator who requested anonymity. “There is no bipartisan conversation that’s anything but bulls‑‑‑.”

One Democratic senator said that centrist colleagues would have voted to reopen the government “yesterday” if acting independently but are hesitant to risk a backlash from leftist voters.

Emma Lydon, managing director of P Street, the government relations arm of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said Democrats who support the House-passed short-term funding measure are making a “mistake.”

She told The Hill that Democrats voting to reopen the government when millions of Americans are projected to lose their health insurance due to rising premiums “would be out of step with what the American people want.”

Republicans have said they will negotiate with Democrats on maintaining Obamacare subsidies but not until they vote to reopen the government.