For many, the diehard Insane Clown Posse fans known as the Juggalos are just a strange group of misfits in face paint with bad music on their iPods. For the Juggalos though, they’re people just like everybody else and due to an unfortunate distinction made by the FBI, their alliance with one another has suddenly become dangerous to their well being, and the Juggalos are fighting back.
The Juggalos have banded together to put together the Juggalo March On Washington, a march organized to combat the FBI classifying the Juggalos as “a loosely organized hybrid gang.” Now, while it might not seem like much, or may even seem to be a badge of honor for them, that distinction carries a heavy set of consequences for the Juggalos that they are fighting to eliminate both in court and in the streets of D.C.
As one Twitter user Nate Smith points out, that label is earning some Juggalos jail time, causing others to lose their job and a whole host of consequences for essentially just being fans of a musical group. This is especially problematic in states like California that have “gang enhancement” laws that can add an additional 10 years onto sentences for relatively minor crimes and even lead to up to three years in jail for simply being classified as “participating in gang activities.”
What makes the march even more interesting is that it takes place on the same day and at the same place as a “pro-Trump” rally called the Mother of All Rallies on September 16th in Washington. The pro-Trump rally is set to start at 11 a.m. at the Washington Monument, and the Juggalo March is scheduled for noon at the Lincoln Memorial with paths that will cross as they march around the city.
Check out Nate’s tweets below for more details on the Juggalo’s cause and their reason for marching in the nation’s capital.
Okay, it’s time to talk about the Juggalo March On Washington. This is a real thing that is happening on September 16th.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
People are already laughing at it and think the march is a joke but if you care about civil rights you might want to take it seriously.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
Juggalos are marching on Washington because the FBI classified juggalos as a gang.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
Anyone who as spent five minutes trying to understand juggalos would see they aren’t a gang. It’s an insane notion.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
It’s like saying the KISS Army is a gang or Deadheads or anything els. It’s fucking silly as hell.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
However, this gang classification has serious as impact for juggalos who tend to be poor and undereducated already.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
Here are some real life impacts that the juggalo gang classification has had.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
People have lost their jobs because of juggalo tattoos. They have lost custody battles.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
People have been dishonorably discharged from the military for gang tattoos.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
Juggalos have been pulled over for the cops and been searched because ICP stickers are now probable cause.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
Juggalos who get arrested for non-violent offenses are treated as gang members and added to gang lists.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
This all might seem hilarious to you but people are having their lives ruined over a tattoo they got of their favorite band in high school.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
So if you give a fuck about justice you should give a fuck about this.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
Liberal s should get on board because it is a civil rights issue and conservatives should get on board because it’s government overreach.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
Long story short, take the Juggalo March on Washington seriously. It’s more important than you think. End of thread.
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 15, 2017
