erect gallow and hang themselves to end their lives ?

: The ninth day of stir by students of Forest College and Research Institute at Mettupalayam in the district saw them erect a gallow and act as if they were hanged, depicting their end, in protest against not giving them preference in jobs for forest rangers and foresters.
The students have been on sit-in dharna on the campus, seeking preference for the forestry graduates in appointment of rangers and foresters, since the government had reduced the 100 per cent reservation to 25 per cent for them last year.
Students representatives said they had resorted to protests for the last eight days to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to their plight, but there was no response from government to break the deadlock.