George and Amal Clooney donate $500k to Florida shooting survivors' Never Again gun control campaign

George and Amal Clooney have donated $500,000 to US students organising gun control marches.

The Hollywood superstar and his human rights lawyer wife also said they will attend the protests planned for next month across the country.

They said they are inspired by the "courage and eloquence" of the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, last Wednesday.

Seventeen students and teachers were killed and others wounded when a gunman went on a rampage with an AR-15 assault rifle.

In response to the shooting, Stoneman Douglas students have banded together to rally against gun violence under the banner of Never Again.

Pupils from across Florida and the rest of the US have joined the movement on social media and through protests.

Survivors of the shooting, most who are not old enough to vote, announced over the weekend they are organising a national protest called March for Our Lives on 24 March.

They will march in Washington and other cities to demand children and their families "become a priority" to US lawmakers.

In a statement, George Clooney said he and Amal are donating the $500,000 (£357,325) in the names of their eight-month-old twins.

He said: "Amal and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women from Stoneman Douglas High School.

"Our family will be there on 24 March to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country.

"In the name of our children Ella and Alexander, we're donating $500,000 to help pay for this groundbreaking event. Our children's lives depend on it."

The Never Again account, representing survivors, tweeted: "We want to express extreme gratitude for the amazing donation that George Clooney and his family have made.

"We are overwhelmed with the support, and we can't wait to march."

On Tuesday, about 100 student survivors embarked on a 400-mile trip to the state capital Tallahassee to pressure politicians to act on a sweeping package of gun control laws.

They plan to hold a rally on Wednesday to pressurise Florida's Republican leaders to implement gun restrictions which they have resisted since taking control in 1999.

President Donald Trump refused to speak about gun control laws in the aftermath of the shooting, but has since backed a ban on bump stock gun modifications .

The students who have organised the March for our Lives protest said they are fed up "waiting for someone else" to take action to halt the epidemic of school shootings.

They are demanding a "comprehensive and effective bill" in Congress to address the violence.

"Politicians are telling us that now is not the time to talk about guns," their mission statement said.

"Every kid in this country now goes to school wondering if this day might be their last. We live in fear.

"Change is coming. And it starts now, inspired by and led by the kids who are our hope for the future. Their young voices will be heard."