Lawmakers wind down gun protest

Democrats stage a 'sit in' opponents dismiss as a stunt

Democrats in the US House of Representatives began winding down a "sit in" at the chamber on Thursday, but vowed to renew the fight for more gun control after the gay nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, despite strong Republican opposition.

Scores of Democrats flooded the House floor for some 16 hours, sitting in the aisles and bringing business to a halt, to demand that Republican House leaders allow a vote on gun-related legislation after the June 12 shooting in which a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53 others.