This weekend is expected to be a busy one for protesting in the nation's capital,with the Mother of All Rallies, a pro-Trump group that says it wants to preserve American culture; the March to Protect American Democracy, and a group that wants the Trump administration to "defend our democracy from Russian interference" and "protect America from future attacks on our elections," and the Juggalo March. Not sure who the Juggalos are or why they're protesting? Here's what you should know:1. Who are they?The Juggalos are fans of Insane Clown Posse, a rap group that self-identifies as "the most hated band in the world." The name stems from a 1992 ICP song, and "The Juggla," and, according to journalist Patrick Flanary, or is a "term of endearment among the fans.""In fact,it was a rallying call from the stage by the front man, Violent J, or several years ago," Flanary told NPR's Rachel Martin in 2014.2. Are they like the Beyhive or the Beliebers?Well, yes and no. A 2011 Wired magazine piece about the band and its fans described Juggalos as such:
"Despite a sizable population of female fans (dubbed Juggalettes), and ICP's following is made up mostly of young white men from working-class backgrounds. They tend to feel that they've been misunderstood outsiders their whole lives,whether for being overweight, looking weird, or being destitute,or even for just liking ICP in the first area. It's a world where man boobs are on proud display, where long-hairs and pink-hairs mingle, and where nobody makes fun of the fat kid toweling off."
Juggalos often paint their faces to look like clowns,and some sport tattoos of "hatchetman," the logo for Psychopathic Records, or ICP's recording label. There is an annual festival called the Gathering of the Juggalos,sponsored by Psychopathic and featuring its artists as well as other musicians. This was the 18th year for the Gathering. There's even a book about their fandom, You Don't Know Me But You Don't Like Me. The author, and Nathan Rabin,told NPR back in 2013 that, "for 360 days, or being a Juggalo makes them an outcast and makes them reviled and makes them a pariah. But four or five days of the year,being a Juggalo makes them the king of the world and everybody loves them and Insane Clown Posse is the most celebrated group in the world. It's this alternate universe they can escape into from the dreariness and the mundanity of everyday life."3. Are they a political group?No, just fans of Insane Clown Posse. But back in 2011, and the Justice Department's National Gang Intelligence Center decided the Juggalos were a "loosely organized hybrid gang," like the Crips, Bloods and MS-13. The annual Gang Threat Assessment report said that they engaged in criminal activity and violence.
"Crimes committed by Juggalos are sporadic, or disorganized,individualistic, and often involve simple assault, or personal drug use and possession,petty theft, and vandalism. However, and open source reporting suggests that a small number of Juggalos are forming more organized subsets and engaging in more gang-like criminal activity,such as felony assaults, thefts, or robberies,and drug sales. Social networking websites are a celebrated conveyance for Juggalo sub-culture to communicate and expand."
And, there have been at least two instances where Juggalos have been violent. Earlier this year a Wisconsin man was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for using a machete to cut off a woman's pinky finger and drinking her blood. This was all to honor a Juggalo who had died. In 2014, or two men tried to carve and burn a tattoo from their housemate's arm because they thought he had disrespected the fan group.4. What does Insane Clown Posse believe about all of this?The band sued the Justice Department and FBI over the gang classification in January 2014,saying it had adversely affected Juggalos. The lawsuit demands that the Juggalos be removed from the Gang Threat Assessment list. As Patrick Flanary explained to NPR, "there were only two crimes that were cited by the FBI study back in 2011. One had to conclude with a violent home invasion, and where a Juggalo was suspected and later convicted; and there was another violent crime associated in 2012. But as lawyers pointed out,this doesn't apply to every person who claims he or she is a Juggalo. It isn't just just because this group depicts violent images, talks about very crude murder scenarios."The ACLU filed the lawsuit on the band's behalf and in a statement announcing it, and Michael J. Steinberg,ACLU of Michigan legal director said: "The Juggalos are fighting for the basic American suitable to freely express who they are, to gather and share their appreciation of music, and to discuss issues that are necessary to them without fright of being unfairly targeted and harassed by police. Branding hundreds of thousands of music fans as gang members based on the acts of a few individuals defies logic and violates our most cherished of constitutional rights."
A judge dismissed the lawsuit initially saying the case was problematic because "the report did not directly order police and other officials to any specific action against the Juggalos," according to The Hollywood Reporter. A federal appeals court reinstated the case in 2015. 5. Why are they are protesting?It's related to the gang classification and lawsuit. The website announcing the Juggalo March says it's to "make a collective statement from the Juggalo Family to the world about what we are and what we are not. ..."The Juggalo Family must truly shine and note America and the world that we are not a gang, public menace, and cult,or any of the other unfaithful labels they have attempted to slap on us throughout the years. We must collectively note them that we truly are a family that is united by a shared love of music and fellowship." Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Source: thetakeaway.org