US PROTESTERS RALLY OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE FOR GUN CONTROL TRUMP CRITICISES FBI

Demonstrators participate in a 'lie-in' during a protest for gun control reform in front of the White House on Monday 

Rally outside the White House comes amid a growing protest movement calling for stricter gun control laws in the US. FBI spending too much time on Russia investigation instead of preventing Florida school shooting, US president says.

US President Donald Trump has criticised the FBI for allegedly spending too much time on the Russia investigation instead of preventing the Florida school shooting.

Trump said on Twitter late on Saturday that it was "very sad that the FBI missed all the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter."

Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018

 "This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign - there is no collusion," he said.

Trump's remarks came after the FBI said it received a tip last month that the shooting suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, had a "desire to kill" and access to guns, but the FBI agents failed to act on the information.

Trump also criticised the Democrats for their failure to pass gun control legislation.

"Why didn't the Democrats pass gun control legislation when they had both the House Senate during the Obama Administration. Because they didn't want to, and now they just talk!" he said on Twitter, referring to the administration of former US President Barack Obama.

PUSH FOR GUN CONTROL

Also on Saturday, thousands of students, parents, teachers and neighbours held signs and pushed for gun control legislation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, days after 17 people were shot and killed at a high school about 40km away.

The rally gave a political outlet to the growing feelings of rage and mourning sparked by the carnage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the town of Parkland on Wednesday.

Authorities say a former student with mental health issues who had been expelled and reported to authorities used a legally purchased semi-automatic rifle to kill students and staff.

Dozens of young people and their families have taken their demands for stricter gun control laws to the White House, less than a week after a school shooting killed 17 people in the US state of Florida.

About 50 protesters held signs that read, "Enough is Enough" and "Change gun laws or change Congress", at a protest in Washington DC on Monday.

The rally comes amid a growing movement calling on US President Donald Trump and other lawmakers to strengthen US gun laws in the wake of one of the deadliest school shootings in the country's history.

At least 17 people were killed when a gunman opened fire on students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday.

Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, said the protesters were reading out the names of victims of school shootings that have taken place in the US since 1999.

"They are here because they say enough is enough and there now comes a point where children in schools have to be protected and if that means changing the gun laws, that's what's going to have to happen," Fisher said.

Trump and other US officials have also been under pressure to sever ties to the National Rifle Association (NRA), a powerful gun lobby group that has been blamed for the unwillingness of US lawmakers to pass gun control legislation.

"NRA: Stop killing our kids!" read one sign at the rally on Monday.

While the president sent his condolences to the victims of the Florida attack, he has largely avoided talking about changes to US gun laws.

In a statement on Monday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president "is supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system" for gun purchases, however.

About 300 school shootings have taken place across the US since 2013, gun control advocacy group Newtown estimates.

The protesters, Fisher reported, have "decided that they want to talk about it and they want politicians to talk about it and they want there to be some sort of action".

Students have emerged at the forefront of the calls for gun control, threatening to hold mass walk-outs to get the government to take action. Nationwide protests are also being organised on March 24.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA