Following the lead of survivors of the Parkland, Fla., high school shooting on Feb. 14, in which 17 people were killed, about 75 Sequim and Port Angeles residents rallied in downtown Sequim last Saturday urging stricter gun policies.

The protest was organized by the grassroots group Indivisible Sequim at the four corners of the Sequim Avenue and Washington Street intersection. It joined events nationwide for the March for Our Lives rally.

Sequim student Dylan Jackson, 14, said he went with his grandmother Loretta Vlaardingerbroek because he wants more “common sense gun control laws,” such as banning assault rifle ownership, enforcing stricter background checks and raising gun ownership to age 21.

Jackson, who was one of more than 100 students who walked out of class on March 14 at Sequim Middle School for the National School Walkout to remember the Parkland victims and urge gun control, said he wrote an essay for his language arts class advocating change. He said that some of his classmates wrote similar essays — both for and against stronger gun control.

“I know one thing for sure, they all want a solution to this problem (of gun violence),” he said.

Laura Fierro and her daughter Wren Fierro, 15, who participated in the walkout at Sequim High School, held signs against gun violence and advocated for a deeper look into prescription drugs.

“Psychiatric drugs kids are prescribed are part of the issue too,” Laura Fierro said. “We need to look deeper into what these kids are being prescribed.”

Ellen and Milton Patrie of Sequim sat on a concrete planter in support of stricter gun control saying they have lived privileged lives and felt a need to be out on Saturday.

“Our generation is supposed to be the Greatest Generation, but we didn’t stop guns. The Boomers and the Millenials didn’t do it, so now the kids of today are out there and we better be out here supporting them and get it done,” Ellen Patrie said.

Clare Manis Hatler of Sequim said she was rallying against more gun violence too.

“Assault weapons should certainly not be in the hands of anyone but the military,” she said.

Katie Rodgers of Port Angeles brought her 18-month-old son Liam to the rally saying she hopes “it speaks volumes for a small town to show support for an event like this.”

“It’s important that kids are leading the change, which is inspiring and embarrassing at the same time for adults,” she said.

The idea for the Sequim rally began with Mary Benavidez of Sequim phoning friends, which grew into a bigger event through Indivisible Sequim. Joan Cotta, co-chair of Indivisible Sequim, said the local group of more than 300 members is going into its second year working with locals on a grassroots efforts, such as Saturday’s message to support the students and take guns out of society.

Cotta and co-chair Claudia Carter said they were happy with the turnout and that about 95 percent of the response from the public was positive.

Drivers either honked or waved in support while a few yelled “NRA,” “I support the second amendment,” and “I love my AR-15.”

Sequim teen Nick D’Amico, 16, was the only minor at Saturday’s rally opposed to gun control. He wore a “Make America Great Again” hat and walked to the four corners.

“I had some free time and I wanted to express the First Amendment,” he said. “I’ve been having pleasant, mostly pleasant, conversations with people hearing what they have to say.”

D’Amico said he is a member of Sequim High’s leadership class which helped organize the school’s walkout. He said the class wanted to create an environment for both sides of gun control policies to participate.

Indivisible Sequim is a group on Facebook, and more information on the national group can be found at www.indivisible.org.

Mary Benavidez, Joan Cotta, Dylan Jackson and Loretta Vlaardingerbroek walk with signs for Sequim’s March for Our Lives rally on March 24. Jackson said he and others hope for gun ownership to be moved up to 21, stricter background checks to be enforced and for assault rifles to be banned. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

About 75 people rallied on Saturday, March 24, in Sequim in support of stricter gun control policies as part of the March for Our Lives national event. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Laura Fierro and her daughter Wren Fierro, 15, stand near Dylan Jackson, 14, and his grandmother Loretta Vlaardingerbroek advocating for stricter gun control on March 24 as part of the March for Our Lives rally. Both the Sequim students participated in the National Walkout on March 14 too, they said. Sequim Gazette photos by Matthew Nash