Apparently if you’re a fan of the “horrorcore rap duo” Insane Clown Posse, you are considered a gang member according to the FBI and the Department of Justice. They have added to their list of gang members, the rappers and their fans filed under the name “Juggalos”.
In response to this claim to fame the above-mentioned officials have given the rappers, was a lawsuit requesting that they remove the name from their list of gang members, stating, “Organized crime is by no means part of the Juggalo culture.”
This classification doesn’t come without some merit, however, FBI analysts, law enforcement officials and the media have reported crimes committed by people wearing “Juggalo” tattoos and clothing, which brought the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment to add them to that list, stating that they are a “loosely organized hybrid gang.”
Rappers Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope announced in August at the Gathering of the Juggalos that they intended to sue. “We are not a gang!” the group’s statement reads. “We are a family! We come together for our luv of the Insane Clown Posse, Psychopathic Records and our Juggalo pride. Can we take a fuckin’ second to note that Jimmy Buffett’s Parrot Heads, Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters, Justin Bieber’s Beliebers, the Grateful Dead’s Deadheads and many more haven’t been labeled as a gang?”
“Juggalos are a ‘family’ of people who love and help one another, enjoy one another’s company, and bond over the music and a philosophy of life,” said the lawsuit, which was filed in Detroit Wednesday. “Organized crime is by no means part of the Juggalo culture.”
This designation by the FBI, the complaint argues, is in violation of the fans’ constitutional rights, including free speech, freedom of association and the right to due process.
The complaint also claims that the fans that sport “Juggalo” tattoos and clothing have been illegally targeted by police and denied jobs because of the FBI’s gang designation.
“Among the supporters of almost any group — whether it be a band, sports team, university, political organization or religion — there will be some people who violate the law. Inevitably, some will do so while sporting the group’s logos or symbols,” the filing said. “However, it is wrong to designate the entire group of supporters as a criminal gang based on the acts of a few. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened here.”
“Many people view Juggalos as nonconformists because of their musical tastes, their practice of painting their faces to look like clowns, and the distinctive Juggalo symbols — including the ‘hatchetman’ logo that they often display on their clothing, jewelry, body art and bumper stickers,” the suit said. “Yet when Juggalos come together at concerts or their annual week-long gathering every summer, they know that they are in a community where all people are equal and where they will be accepted and respected for who they are.”
The complaint also asserted that the FBI’s widespread announcement and gang labeling, “has caused real harm to ordinary Juggalos from coast to coast.”
The U.S. Justice Department has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit.
Image via Facebook