Thousands of demonstrators rally in support of gun control in Washington DC

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in in the US capital Washington in favor of gun control on Saturday, including residents of Newtown, Connecticut, where a mass elementary school shooting reignited the U.S. gun violence debate. Leading the crowd were marchers with pictures of victims of gun violence, while other participants held signs reading: "Protect children, not guns." The silent march was organized by Molly Smith, the artistic director of Washington's Arena Stage, and her partner American Indian activist Suzanne Blue Star Boy. The pair used social networking sites like Facebook or Scoop to spread the word of the march. The march organizers support President Barack Obama's call for a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines as well as for background checks for all gun sales. President Obama unveiled a far-reaching package of measures to reshape gun laws ten days ago, and and Vice President Joe Biden has since been leading efforts to sell them to the American public. The 90-minute rally was co-sponsored by One Million Moms for Gun Control, an advocacy group which has helped organize similar events from San Francisco to New York.