The Jan. 29 general strike in France—called "Black Thursday"—was the first to hit a major industrialized nation since the start of the global financial crisis. Eight major trade unions, representing teachers, postal workers, rail workers, and other public-sector employees, along with many private-sector unions, took to the streets across the country to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's handling of the crisis.

Strikes have broken out across the UK in support of a mass walkout by energy workers in Lincolnshire angry at the use of foreign workers. Hundreds gathered for the third day of the original strike at Lindsey Oil Refinery after owner Total gave a £200 million contract to an Italian firm. They are joined by hundreds of other "sympathy" strikers in Scotland, Wales and other parts of England.

Swiss police clashed with protesters against the World Economic Forum Jan. 31, firing tear gas and arresting 60 in central Geneva after officers were reportedly pelted with bottles and fireworks. Protesters gathered in defiance of a ban imposed by local authorities. Police equipped with a water cannon blocked the planned route of the march, briefly detaining and searching participants.

On their sixth day of protests Jan. 24, Greek farmers continued their blockades on the borders with Bulgaria, Macedonia and Turkey, cutting off key roads including the Athens-Thessaloniki express highway with barricades of tractors and farm equipment. The farmers are demanding the government provide relief for inflated fuel prices and depressed crop prices. Bulgarian authorities protested that a group of some 100 farmers attempted to cross the border. (Radio Bulgaria, BBC World Service, Jan. 24; Sofia Echo, Jan. 23)

About a dozen members of the new leadership of the Basque political opposition were arrested in several towns across Spain's País Vasco Jan. 23. The arrests follow a court order by the Spanish High Court magistrate Baltasar Garzón, who claims that 3DM and Askatasuna, two new parties fielding candidates in the forthcoming local elections, are fronts for the outlawed Batasuna party.

The worst street disturbances for 50 years struck Reykjavik, Iceland, Jan. 22, as police used tear gas against hundreds protesters after an earlier crowd of some 2,000 gathered outside the Althingi, the country's parliament, to demand the government resign. The crowds surrounded the building, banging pots and pans, shooting off fireworks, lobbing paving stones, rolls of toilet paper and shoes. A day earlier, protesters jostled Minister Geir Haarde's limousine, pummelling it with cans of soft drinks and eggs. (EU Observer, Jan. 22)

Days after violent protests in Latvia, riots broke out in neighboring Lithuania Jan. 16, with some 7,000 gathering in the capital Vilnius to protest planned economic austerity measures. Some began throwing eggs and stones through the windows of government buildings, and police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. (NYT, Jan. 17)

Violent protests over mounting economic woes shook the Latvian capital, Riga, late Jan. 13, leaving some 25 injured and leading to 106 arrests. In the wake of the demonstrations, President Valdis Zatlers threatened to call for a referendum that would allow voters to dissolve parliament, saying trust in the government had "collapsed catastrophically." (NYT, Jan. 14)