Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) on Saturday praised the survivors of the deadly mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., thanking them for "providing more leadership" than policymakers in Washington.

"To the Parkland students, thank you for providing more leadership from your high school than we're seeing in the corridors of Washington and the White House," Garcetti told BuzzFeed News at a "March for Our Lives" event in LA.

Garcetti's comments came as hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in cities across the United States on Saturday to demand an end to gun violence.

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The rallies were organized in response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland last month that left 17 people dead and 14 others injured.

Students from the school have emerged in recent weeks as vocal advocates for stronger gun control laws, and have sought to put pressure on lawmakers to take swift action on the matter.

Despite the momentum of the student-led efforts, lawmakers in Washington have largely failed to address the calls for new gun control measures with a sense of urgency.

At the same time, President Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE, who appeared poised to back comprehensive gun control reform in the days after the Parkland shooting, has reversed on some of his previous calls for action.

He has instead focused more recently on plans to arm teachers and do away with gun-free zones on school campuses.