The rally was organized by Moms Demand Action, a non-partisan group formed in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.
"I'm out here because I lost two sons, one in 2001 and 2007, and they were my hearts, they were my everything," said protester Lorrain Morland. "I lost them on the streets of Los Angeles by gun violence."
"We are never going to forget Newton or Auroa or Columbine or Virginia Tech," said Hollye Dexter of Moms Demand Action. "We're not going away until we get this."
Across the street were protesters for the other side of the debate, members of the South Central L.A. Tea Party.
"We are asking the government to take their hands off our guns and off the Second Amendment," said Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson. "We have a right to protect ourselves and our families."
As the battle wears on in Washington, gun reform protesters said they are frustrated by the fight and that so many lives have been lost.
"I feel enormous sympathy for families in Newton and I hope that this will never happen again," said Klara Otis of West Los Angeles. "We need to enact stronger laws and regulations."
