The Latest: Australians march to support US protesters

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on student-led protests against gun violence (all times local):

10:45 p.m.

Australians and overseas Americans are taking part in a Sydney rally to show solidarity with students who are demanding gun control in the U.S.

About 100 people, including children, marched in support of the March For Our Lives. They observed a moment of silence for the 17 people killed in the Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14.

Protester Jennifer Smith says she was inspired by the young kids who have stepped forward to say "enough is enough."

She says, "Sadly, they're doing the jobs that adults have not been able to do, and I think this is really going to be the turning point where people stand up, they listen and it's going to change a lot of things."

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6 p.m.

Washington is preparing for a massive rally in support of gun control, one that organizers hope will prove that the country has reached an emotional tipping point on gun violence, with teenagers seizing the initiative and leading the demand for change.

The nation's capital is generally nonchalant about protests, but Saturday's gathering has prompted more attention and speculation than usual.

Organizers are hoping to draw 500,000 protesters; that would match last year's women's march and make this one of the largest Washington protests since the Vietnam era. It would also bolster claims that the nation is ready to enact sweeping changes to its gun control laws. More than 800 other concurrent marches are planned in cities across America and dozens of locations overseas.