idiom "up in arms"

[learning101]

Hi all,
It's me again. I am wondering if I had used the idiom correctly this time:

"The students protest up in arms to show their refusal of coming to school despite low infection rate"

What I mean is despite low infection rate of the virus, students refuse to return to school and are protesting against the government for reopening the school so early.
My questions are:

1. Can I replace "protest angrily" with "protest up in arms".
2. I'm struggling with the phrase "refusal of coming to school" and was thinking if there is a better way of saying.

 

[emsr2d2]

No. "up in arms" is always preceded by some form of the verb "to be".

The students were up in arms about the idea of going back to school.
My dad is up in arms about sending my sister to school so soon.