These things need to be less politicized and erratic if they are going to work.

Why are elementary schools closed across most of the US, while bars and restaurants are mostly open for reduced in-person service?

Because the teacher unions and dining industries both have enough political power to get their way. There's no rhyme or reason besides "might makes right", and the rules for businesses seem to change every week, so the growing public frustration is very understandable.

I'm proud of these students. It's unconscionable that their institution did not inform them of these installations ahead of time. I've been a student who had to walk a couple miles for groceries, and I held my walking routes to be sacred during that time. If someone put a wall between me and fresh fruits during an exam week with no warning, I would have rioted too. And I bet my grandmother who lived through the Blitz would be rooting for them despite her zeal for giving things up for the public good. The British Bulldog spirit recognizes a difference between austerity and autocracy.