Insane Clown Posse's Juggalo Following Now Considered A Gang By FBI
Tuesday, 01 November 2011
Written by Elliott Batte
Fans of America’s weirdest hip-hop duo The Insane Clown Posse have been officially classed as a gang, after they were deemed to be taking part in criminal and violent activities.
The two rappers, who are famed for dressing up as clowns complete with face-paint and costumes, have amassed a cult following where fans, who call themselves ‘Juggalos’, also dress up and act the part while listening to the pair’s tunes. Harmless fun it may seem like – teenagers dressed as clowns aren’t teenagers rioting and smashing stuff up – but the FBI have now labelled them as a gang and are monitoring Juggalos for gang activity.
The move comes after the group was linked to a number of criminal cases, including the assault of a homeless man and an incident involving a shooting earlier in the year, resulting in the FBI deeming them to be a threat to society and consider them a “concern to law enforcement.
A 98-page document was written to boost the move, and reads: “Open source reporting suggests that a small number of Juggalos are forming more organised subsets and engaging in more gang-like criminal activity. Transient, criminal Juggalo groups pose a threat to communities due to the potential for violence, drug use/sales, and their general destructive and violent nature.”
While it may seem that there could be a few member of the Juggalo society who could be using the identity to promote violence, the two rappers themselves have never advocated gangsta-rapper like behaviour and, after a fan reportedly shot his girlfriend in 2006, their manager spoke-out against violence, saying: “Anyone that knows anything at all about Juggalos knows that in no way, shape, or form would we ever approve of this type of bullshit behaviour.
So, Juggalos: Peaceful clowns, or dangerous gangstas? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
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