One of many silent redundancy protests in Barcelona – this one against layoffs without pay by EMMSA. These kind of scenes seem to be getting worse in recent months, with numerous businesses closing (not least the Lauren cinema at Plaça de la Universitat, and probably we will soon see the closure of Fotoprix). Protest banners have become so common that for many people here they have become just another piece of urban visual noise to ignore, much like the advertisements and graffiti throughout the city.