Democrats end sit-in to force vote on gun control after 25 hours

Georgia Rep. John Lewis and other Democrats ended their sit-in on the House floor on Thursday around 25 hours after it began. 

Representatives began the sit-in after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, demanding that the House call a vote on two gun control measures -- one that would prevent those on terrorist watch lists from purchasing a gun, and another that would expand and bolster universal background checks. 

All those hours later, their goal was left unaccomplished after House Speaker Paul Ryan adjourned the governing body until July 5.

But Lewis described the sit-in as just the beginning as he and others ended the protest.

"We're going to win," Lewis said on Thursday. "We're going to win big."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The sit-in played out in unusual fashion. Though House proceedings are usually broadcast by C-Span, the network doesn't control the cameras. The cameras may be used when the House is in session, and they're off whenever it's out of session. 

After the protest began, House Speaker Paul Ryan gaveled the representatives into recess, meaning the cameras went off. 

Journalists, too, are not allowed to broadcast when the cameras are off, but politicians are bound by no such rules. 

Representatives took out their phones and tweeted photos from the sit-in. Eventually, they began to use Periscope and Facebook Live to stream speech after speech demanding gun control votes from the House floor. 

The sit-in dominated conversation on social media, and those livestreams made their way to cable news channels. 

Republicans responded by calling the sit-in a "publicity stunt" and a "disgrace." 

Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas confronted the sit-in Democrats, shouting that "radical Islam killed" the victims of a recent massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida nearly two weeks ago.

The massacre was carried out by a gunman who told authorities he was pledging allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, at the time of his assault.

Though the House is now out of session for the rest of the month for the long Fourth of July holiday, the Senate will vote yet again on a gun control measure on Thursday that would prevent those on two different terrorist watch lists from buying a gun.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.