We’ve known about it for some time, but on Saturday it finally happened. The long-promised “Juggalo March” on Washington D.C. went down on Saturday, September 16th, and judging by the many reporters who showed up to cover it and the competing “Mother of All Rallies” pro-Donald Trump demonstration, it didn’t disappoint. While those who turned out for the latter were in town to support their president, however, the Insane Clown Posse fans weren’t necessarily gathering on the National Mall to protest Trump. They were there to march against the FBI.
Per CBS News, the ICP-loving Juggalos were in town “as part of a long-planned protest against what they say is discriminatory treatment by law enforcement.” In 2011, the National Gang Threat Assessment composed by the FBI listed the group as a “loosely-organized hybrid gang.” According to ICP and the march’s organizers, they believe “they have been discriminated against and targeted” because the band’s “lyrics are marked by violent imagery, and whose logo is a man holding a hatchet.”
As for the so-called “Mother of All Rallies,” the event’s leaders maintain their goal is to support the Trump White House’s agenda, which they argue will save “traditional American culture” from the many threats it faces. Organizers for both have apparently “regarded each other warily,” considering what happened in Charlottesville, and both events are taking steps to prevent any violence from breaking out. Those in charge of the pro-Trump event told CBS News they “will ask any attendees with Confederate flags, Nazi symbols or hateful signs to leave, or put paraphernalia back in their cars.”
So far the rallies’ concurrence has sparked nothing more than a flurry of photos and videos on Twitter, posted predominantly by journalists in attendance. Higher numbers of attendees (and a few noticeable tourists) were spotted at the Juggalos’ encampment.
Juggalo March is supposed to start in 10 mins and these are the only juggalos in sight pic.twitter.com/5ZB8iZI16B
— Ema O'Connor (@o_ema) September 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/bterris/status/909105078514208768
https://twitter.com/JackSmithIV/status/909096232131407872
https://twitter.com/bterris/status/909098803919245312
https://twitter.com/JackSmithIV/status/909100035182350336
The quite serene Juggalo March, some changing "family!" And "Juggalo!" Half the crowd are tourists pic.twitter.com/X3kw73aAPw
— Ema O'Connor (@o_ema) September 16, 2017
While a much smaller number of protesters at the “Mother of All Rallies” were tallied up by those documenting it.
https://twitter.com/bterris/status/909095358789283842
https://twitter.com/jelle_simons/status/909098694162763776
Based on the crowd now I'd say #MOAR is a bit of a misnomer. #juggalomarch isn't too big either. Both seem passionate though pic.twitter.com/z2VfPpvfTm
— Sarah Mimms (@mimms) September 16, 2017
Here we go. The Mother of All Rallies @NPR @wamu885 pic.twitter.com/DDqxiHsRDt
— S A S H A (@SashaAnnSimons) September 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/JackSmithIV/status/909072817148309504
Of course, it wouldn’t be a day of dueling rallies without a few decent Twitter jokes and observations.
https://twitter.com/EvanMcS/status/909069266665840640
https://twitter.com/ryansatin/status/909086580517748736
Ready for the Juggalo march pic.twitter.com/ohbKFdqVFQ
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) September 15, 2017
"I'll be a few minutes late, all of the natl mall is blocked off for the juggalo march" is something i actually just txted my boss.
— Pablo Iglesias Maurer (@MLSist) September 16, 2017
The Juggalo March is definitely the first protest where I've said I'm a reporter and people have tried to hug me
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) September 16, 2017
(Via CBS News)