Reminiscent of the Soviet Bloc vs. the Citizens that preceded the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in the 1980s, similar horrifying scenes are currently occurring throughout much of Western Europe as citizens protest against the effect of sanctions. Mícheál Walsh historian and journalist says, ‘In 1990 we watched as the Soviet Bloc collapsed: now we ourselves are part of the collapse of the equally detested totalitarian European Union.’

Demonstrations for better wages in France elicited a harsh response from law enforcement.

Massive protests against the high cost of living met with a heavily-armed police crackdown in Paris on Tuesday. Tens of thousands of striking workers and their supporters filled the city streets to denounce President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies and demand better wages in the face of massive inflation caused by EU sanctions against Russia.

A video posted to social media shows a crowd of heavily armoured riot police agents violently charging a cluster of demonstrators sheltering behind a makeshift barricade. While the protesters scatter almost immediately, the cops carry off a few of them, while protesters toss projectiles at them.

Another clip shows police whacking demonstrators with their batons and drenching them in pepper spray while others trade blows with protesters. Protests against Macron’s regime and its policies have been ongoing since last month when employees at TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil demanded a salary bump of over 10% to compensate for high inflation.

The resulting strike took a third of France’s gas stations out of service, causing long lines to fill up at the remaining locations. Tuesday’s demonstrations included an official action by the General Confederation of Labour, with transit workers, as well as auto plant and power plant workers, taking to the streets alongside the refinery and gas station workers and their supporters.

With post-sanctions EU inflation at 6%, the cost of food and other necessities has become a heavy burden for the average worker. Energy costs have soared due to EU sanctions on Russian gas.