Massive Protests Held Across Mexico to Demand Return of 43 Missing students

Demanding the return of the students who went missing last month after a clash with police in the town of Iguala, tens of thousands of people staged protests in cities across Mexico. Several countries are pressing Mexico to resolve the issue at the earliest.

"This is a troubling crime that demands a full, transparent investigation. The perpetrators must be brought to justice," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday, Al Jazeera reports.

Authorities had found 28 bodies in a mass grave near Iguala, which is in the state of Guerrero, last week. Officials suspect that the bodies might be of the missing students; however they have not been able to identify them as yet. Forensic tests are being conducted to ascertain the identity of the bodies, BBC reports.

Meanwhile, hundreds of civilian militiamen have begun searching the town in southern Mexico to look for the missing students, ABC News reports. The search teams have said that they will conduct house-by house searches too. However, fears that they have been executed by a gang working with the local police continue to linger.

The students had a confrontation with police while protesting against what they perceived as discriminatory hiring practices for teachers. They were last seen being bundled into police cars.  

Agitated family members led a procession in Mexico City, carrying photographs of the disappeared students.

Mass protests were also held in other cities including Oaxaca, Veracruz, Morelia, and Guerrero.

The EZLN - also known as the Zapatistas indigenous rebel group - held a silent march in the southern city of San Cristobal de las Casas.