Gun control supporters in the US Senate have won the first showdown over how to respond to the December school shootings in Connecticut, defeating an effort by conservatives to derail firearms restrictions before debate could even start.

The US senate cleared the way yesterday for a weeks-long debate on proposals to curb gun violence, rejecting an effort by Republicans to block consideration of gun-control legislation prompted by December’s Newtown school massacre.

The US Senate is ready to launch an emotion-charged debate on new gun restrictions, four months after the carnage at a Connecticut elementary school spurred President Barack Obama and Congress to address firearms violence.