Democrats protest US gun laws

Washington, June 23: US Democrats on Thursday vowed to continue pushing for gun safety legislation in the wake of the Orlando nightclub massacre after a dramatic overnight sit-in failed to force a vote in Congress.

The scenes on the House floor, unprecedented in recent history, began after Democrats took over the chamber’s proceedings Wednesday, prompting Republican Speaker Paul Ryan to gavel the House into session late at night.

Ryan, who dismissed the protest as a “publicity stunt,” refused to allow votes on two bills demanded by Democrats: one to expand background checks and another that prevents people on terror watch lists and no-fly lists from buying guns.

Instead, he called for votes on unrelated issues as he sought a return to order as Democrats shouted “No bill, no break!” referring to the Fourth of July holiday Congress adjourns.

“The time for silence and patience is long gone,” said House Democrat John Lewis, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr in the 1960s and led Wednesday’s protest.

The House drama began before noon when Lewis and dozens of colleagues sat down on the carpeted floor in the well of the chamber.

Fifteen hours after the sit-in, the presiding officer adjourned the House for two weeks and Republicans began leaving the building. But about 20 Democrats remained on the House floor as party leaders huddled over what to do next.

— AFP when