I actually agree with the OP. I rather suspect that they were moved up the front so they were watered if not fed from the CE galley. I suspect that CE was full. Whether ET was remains to be seen. The CSM clearly was being defensive until she realised that you were hopping mad. I suspect that I know who it might have been. Was she blond and East European? I say this because I had an issue with her as she couldn’t understand why her handbag up in the overhead lockers was a problem. That apart, she was lovely I have to say. Naturally, all the storage space in the bulkhead has gone as well, so I do have some sympathy.

Those non-bulkhead seats cause problems with people queuing for the toilet. What makes me maddest 😡 of all are crew bags in the forward compartments as I have said. If she had said that to me, I’d have said that there’s space down the back where she must have spent take-off, just because there’s no room for you to put her, don’t dump her on us. Her role and ours is different, we pay full whack. She most likely doesn’t. When I flew I never went stand-by even in the last years when I commuted from Nice. I always paid HI and my fares for own travel as neither of us would travel Space Available.

Complain away. It’s not good enough.