Students in the US states of Florida and Tennessee have staged sympathy protests in support of a push for a ban on assault rifles. Protesters included one group of 1,000 teens and adults. They marched from a high school in Boca Raton to the site of the Parkland school shooting, which killed 17 teens and staff members.

The march came as dozens of students and parents from the Florida high school where the shooting occurred, headed to the state capital Tallahassee to push for a ban on assault rifles. But the Florida state House on the same day turned down an attempt to bring up a bill that would block sales of assault rifles. The Florida high school students also plan a march on Washington next month, to pressure the government on gun control.