The law does not mandate cookie banners. Cookie popups are malicious compliance by advertising and analytics companies to continue spying.

The real solution is to tighten what counts as consent.

The EU’s oppressive regulations are based an absurd lack of understanding of how technology works. If consumers find an aspect of the protocol bothersome they have the power to use a browser or extension that makes it possible to block or disable it. We do not need a nanny state government imposing fines and threats on legitimate well intentioned websites. IMHO: Good riddance to this broken regulation.

Was the brutal cookie banner on the site a dig at cookie banners?

Disabling javascript for the site got rid of it. It does so for many sites.