The demonstration, attended by about 2,000 people, was much smaller than the original one, which took place on Mother's Day four years ago.
Several hundred gun rights supporters also held their own rally, organized by Second Amendment Sisters, at Freedom Plaza near the White House.
Speakers at the "Halt the Assault" rally reminded the crowd to "Remember November!" as they spoke mainly of a need to renew a ban on assault rifles that is to expire September 13.
"We are working very hard in Iraq to get AK-47s off the street, to get Uzis off the streets. The president says we're fighting the war on terror by doing that," said Rep. Chris van Hollen, D-Maryland. "What about the terror right here on our streets at home."
He also decried a provision in the law that critics contend allows owners of legal firearms to replace the housing for the firing mechanism and turn them into illegal assault weapons. He tied the loophole to October 2002 sniper attacks that killed 10 people in van Hollen's Maryland district, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
"We need to close that loophole, because real bullets that killed real people went through those loopholes," van Hollen said.
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