How Long Has the House Sit-In Lasted?

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Rep. Esty with John Lewis and other Democrats. (Twitter/Rep. Esty)

The House sit-in for gun control has become the longest sit-in in history, with the next closest lasting only about five hours. But exactly how long has the sit-in lasted so far?

Here’s what you need to know.

The House sit-in almost came to an end at about 3:13 a.m. Eastern, when House Speaker Paul Ryan adjourned until after July 4. But Democrats stayed on the floor protesting even after the adjournment. According to NBC News, at midnight Eastern the sit-in had lasted just over 12 hours, because it had started around 11:30 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday. This means that by 3:13 a.m on Thursday, when the House adjourned, the sit-in had lasted more than 15 hours. Keep in mind, however, that this is the “technical” length of the sit-in. After the adjournment, Democrats mentioned plans to stay on the House floor and continue protesting.

And they did. As of Thursday, the sit-in has become a day-long process, lasting more than 24 hours.

Georgia congressman John Lewis started the sit-in, relying on his younger days as a civil rights activist. In the 1960s, Lewis was jailed and beaten when he protested for equal rights for African Americans. He said: “It is good to see sitting there on the floor. I felt like I was reliving my life all over again. During the 60s, the sit in started with three or four people and it spread like wildfire. This was spread.”

The protest began with about 40 people reading the Pledge of Allegiance. One Democrat said that he attended after his mom called:

Around midnight, someone asked Lewis how long the sit-in would last. He said they were still going to be around for a while. By 3:13 a.m., House Speaker Paul Ryan adjourned, with plans to resume after July 4, after holding a vote over funding to fight the Zika virus. But many Democrats stayed and the sit-in continued on.

Learn more about the sit-in with our stories below: