'March on Washington for Gun Control' staged

Thousands of American citizens are expected to hold a silent march to show support of President Barack Obama's gun-control plan and call on Congress and state legislators to protect Americans from gun violence.

The march, under the name March on Washington for Gun Control, was organised by Molly Smith and Suzanne Blue Star Boy through social media and a website, which went online shortly after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Smith insisted the march is not about restricting hunting rifles. The group, she claims, wants Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban, place a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines and require background checks for all gun purchases. They also ask for a 28-day waiting period for gun purchases, mandatory gun safety training and a ban on bullets that shatter in the body.

Speakers at the rally will include Congresswoman Norton, Senior Pastor Dean Snyder of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington D.C. and Virginia Tech massacre survivor Colin Goddard.

The rally will be staged while Obama's new and ambitious gun control programme is expected to face big hurdles on Capitol Hill. Many expect that his proposals to ban assault weapons, expand background checks, and restrict the capacity of gun magazines will be opposed by the majority of the Republicans.