Marijuana use, litter problems spike at scenic mountain spots

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EL PASO – The Franklin Mountains feature some of the Borderland’s most prominent scenic areas. With great views overlooking El Paso’s valleys, Downtown and Juarez, Mexico, it is a popular destination for El Pasoans and travelers alike. Runners and cyclists share the road with residents and tourists along the Rim Road route to Scenic Drive, where you can stand in one spot and see three states and two nations. Families and friends stroll through Tom Lea Park. There, an obelisk marks the southernmost point of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S.

But not everyone appreciates the view and moves on.

A member of the 915 Anarchy group paints graffiti at the downtown branch of Bank of America. (Alejandro Alba/Borderzine.com)

Young anarchists defy the law to promote social and political change

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EL PASO – Early one morning in late April, a dark figure walks up to the windows of the Bank of America building on Mesa Street in downtown El Paso across from San Jacinto Plaza. From under his jacket, he pulls out a can of black paint and sprays a symbol on the windows along with the word “die.”

The young protestor – covered from head to toe to hide his identity – painted a large letter “A” with a circle around it on the window of the bank.  The “A” is a symbol that has become widely known throughout the world as the calling card of a social movement called anarchism. Anarchist groups have sprung up throughout the country as a branch of the Occupy Wall Street movement. What sets these anarchist groups apart from the Occupy movement are the tactics of protest they use to get their message across. Their method is known as “black bloc,” which involves vandalism, marches and riots while members dress in black to promote solidarity.