Thursday, January 09, 2014

FBI Classifies Music Fans As Gang

The fans of musical group Insane Clown Posse, who call themselves Juggalos, have been classified by the FBI as a gang.  This has led to harassment and denial of rights by those displaying the "gang" symbols.

The FBI's 2011 gang assessment said, "The Juggalos, a loosely-organized hybrid gang, are rapidly expanding into many US communities. Although recognized as a gang in only four states, many Juggalos subsets exhibit gang-like behavior and engage in criminal activity and violence. Law enforcement officials in at least 21 states have identified criminal Juggalo sub-sets, according to NGIC reporting."

On behalf of the "gang" members who have suffered harm by the FBI's ridiculous classification, the ACLU has sued.  The ACLU said, "The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, along with the Detroit music duo Insane Clown Posse (ICP), filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of Juggalos, or fans of ICP, claiming that their constitutional rights to expression and association were violated when the U.S. government wrongly and arbitrarily classified the entire fan base as a “hybrid” criminal gang. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four Juggalos and the two members of ICP."

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