Jharkhand students stepped up their protest on Monday as their agitation entered its 17th day, with protesters marching towards the state Assembly for a Vidhan Sabha gherao. Students say they are fighting for their rights and against what they describe as injustice by the Jharkhand government. Organisers have deployed around 500 volunteers in identifiable T-shirts to maintain discipline and prevent any disruption during the protest. Local residents also joined in, offering tilaks and blessings to the young protesters before they headed towards the Assembly.