By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The rap duo Insane Clown Posse and their fans plan to protest the group’s FBI classification as a gang in Washington D.C. in September.
“As many of you are no doubt personally aware, the FBI’s inclusion of Juggalos as a ‘gang’ has resulted in hundreds if not thousands of people subjected to various forms of discrimination, harassment, and profiling simply for identifying as a Juggalo,” the group wrote in an online manifesto, the New York Daily News reports.
“Over the past five years, our legal team has heard testimonies and reports from Juggalos all over the nation who have lost custody of their children, been fired from jobs, denied access into the armed forces, and the most common consequence — being officially labeled as a gang member by law enforcement agencies for wearing Juggalo related clothing or brandishing one or more Juggalo tattoos.”
The FBI classified the group’s fans as a “loosely organized hybrid gang” in 2011.
“Juggalos utilize the symbol of a man running with hatchet, called the ‘Hatchetman,’ have their own hand signs, slang, an anthem, and a pledge of allegiance to the ICP and their ideas,” the report read. “The Juggalos follow the groups teachings which are imbedded in their lyrics, movies, album covers and websites.”
