Holding signs above Langley’s northern bluff and along Seattle’s streets, South Whidbey residents came out in force Saturday joining the collective national plea to stop America’s war on itself.

“Arms are for hugging,” “Ban Assault Weapons,” “No More Violence,” were just a few of the homemade placards held by an estimated 300 people in Langley. They gathered for several hours in support of March for Our Lives, the student-organized Washington D.C. rally that triggered hundreds of rallies worldwide.

Residents put down about 200 pairs of donated shoes of all kinds — boots, sneakers, dress shoes, sandals — lining them up on the grass facing Cascade Avenue.

“We set them out there to represent the children killed by gun violence in this country,” said Diane Jhueck, organizer with People of Whidbey Elegantly Resisting or POWER. “They were there to remind us of real people who are now unable to do things like stand in protest of the way that they were killed.”

The mood was solemn, tearful and reflective.

“There was a strong sense of resolve,” Jhueck said.

Some South Whidbey High School students joined tens of thousands of others in Seattle, marching and chanting through downtown city streets.

“It was an incredible experience that I will never forget,” said Jessica Johnson, president of the high school’s Social Justice Club. She walked with a dozen local high school students and three students from middle school.

“It was amazing to be able to march alongside thousands of other people all fighting for the same thing,” she said. “I’m so proud we had so many students from SWHS participating.”

At Langley’s gathering, many protesters were familiar faces who steadfastly demonstrate most weekends against current national policies. But some faces were new.

“Something that stood out for me was that many of the people who came to this gathering were not people I had seen at other protests,” Jhueck said. “These people and the millions of others who went to protests across the country were voting with their bodies for reasonable gun control in this country.”

Shoes representing children killed by firearms were lined up and later donated to Good Cheer. Photo provided by Diane Jhueck