FBI classifies Juggalos as a gang

[Yuri-G]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/...201339557.html

The FBI has classified fans of the Detroit-based hip-hop band Insane Clown Posse--who call themselves Juggalos and paint their faces like their heros--as a violent, fast-growing "gang" worth monitoring. News of the bureau's move first came courtesy of Wired reporter Spencer Ackerman.
The Juggalos are highlighted in the bureau's 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment report as a "non-traditional gangs" alongside the traditional ethnic-based Asian, East African and Caribbean gangs; the report classifies Juggalos among "hybrid gangs" such as the Latin Kings.
According to information from the National Gang Intelligence Center cited in the report, the Juggalos "are rapidly expanding into many U.S. communities" and "engage in criminal activity and violence."
Law enforcement officials in at least 21 states "have identified criminal Juggalo sub-sets," according to the NGIC.
[Click here for a PDF of the full FBI report.]
More from the report:

Most crimes committed by Juggalos are sporadic, disorganized, individualistic, and often involve simple assault, personal drug use and possession, petty theft, and vandalism. However, 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, robberies, and drug sales.

The report states that in January 2011, a suspected Juggalo member shot and wounded a couple in King County, Wash.; in 2010, "two suspected Juggalo associates were charged with beating and robbing an elderly homeless man."
However, FBI specialists note that it can be hard to get a fix on the Juggalos and their whereabouts. Juggalos' "disorganization and lack of structure within their groups, coupled with their transient nature, makes it difficult to classify them and identify their members and migration patterns."
And:

Many criminal Juggalo subsets are comprised of transient or homeless individuals, according to law enforcement reporting. Most Juggalo criminal groups are not motivated to migrate based upon traditional needs of a gang. However, law enforcement reporting suggests that Juggalo criminal activity has increased over the past several years and has expanded to several other states. Transient, criminal Juggalo groups pose a threat to communities due to the potential for violence, drug use/sales, and their general destructive and violent nature.

Though law enforcement officials in Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington "report the most Juggalo gang-related criminal activity," Juggalos "are present in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia." Juggalo gangs are expanding in New Mexico, in particular, "because they are attracted to the tribal and cultural traditions of the Native Americans residing nearby."
The FBI "gang" classification has prompted some purportedly law-abiding Juggalos to launch a petition in protest:

Many are college students, college graduates, and some with very high degrees in many different fields. Others are humble, work long hours, and earn everything that they own. True Juggalos and Juggalettes are a part of a sub culture to America, and are NOT criminals! This discrimination should not be allowed against innocent people because, of people claiming false belief in our culture.

A representative for the Insane Clown Posse did not immediately return requests for comment left with Psychopathic Records, the band's label.
The fascination with the Juggalos and their annual Gathering of the Juggalos--what the band itself bills as "the Most Controversial Music Festival in the World!"--has sparked media interest. Last year, the Village Voice ran a cover story, in which the writer, Camille Dodero, gave a firsthand account of the Juggalo gathering in rural Illinois (readers should note that Dodero's saga contains graphic accounts of sexual acts and drug use):

A map given at the entrance shows how HogRock has been carved into an Insane Clown Posse theme park: Three camping areas are rechristened the "Chaos District," "Loonie Boonies," and "Red Mist Mountain." Scattered around them are six separate stages, a wrestling ring, and an autograph tent. There is the Main Stage, where ICP will headline and Method Man will get his cheek bloodied from a flying object. There is the Second Stage, where bong MC Afroman will get figuratively stoned and reality-TV star Tila Tequila will get literally stoned. There is the Seminar Tent, where omnipresent porn icon Ron Jeremy will initial the sunburnt breast of a Juggalette already sporting a neck hickey, then take her inside his trailer.

Dodero thinks the recent "gang" classification is "ludicrous."
"It's like classifying New York Giants fans as a gang because people have committed crimes while wearing New York Giants hats," Dodero told The Cutline. "This whole gang thing is an allegation Juggalos have been dealing with for years. It's just strange the FBI has decided now to add them to their roster, when Juggalos have actually been getting the best (least outright and spiteful) press in the last 18 months than ever before."

[Xno Kappa]

Surprised this didn't happen sooner. Some of the cases I've read dealing with juggalos can easily be classified as gang-related activities. We just did the same thing here in Colorado recently with a supposed "Car Club."

The fact the FBI only recently classified them as a gang leads me to believe they're currently investigating something big these fucknuts did.

[Not Kuno]

It's a mother fucking miracle.

Spoiler: show

http://images.wikia.com/mspaintadven...zee_Makara.png

[archibaldcrane]

They're easy to arrest by putting magnets in public places and see who gets upset over them.

[Drex]

Take a group of people out to Frisco Bay and see which cell phones are attacked

[SephYuyX]

What is a juggalo, i dont know, but im down with the clown, and im down fo life yo.

[Cail]

[Sylvrdragon]

fast-growing

Maybe 10 years ago...

Most (former) juggalos that I know are almost 30 years old now with kids and day-jobs and regrets of their ICP tattoos. Not to mention, the entire genre of music is now played out and boring. There's nothing left for them to say to shock people with, and that was the entire appeal of their music, as every other aspect of it was average at best.

Or are they suddenly gaining popularity again (for some reason), and I just don't know about it?

[Guitarman]

Prison cells, how do they work?

[Sup3rB4d]

What is a juggalo

'What is a Juggalo' lyrics

[Plow]

There's nothing left for them to say to shock people with, and that was the entire appeal of their music, as every other aspect of it was average at best.

they had some pretty damn good halloween music tho >.>

but yeah, shocking, a massive disorganized group of people comprised largely of methheads is getting in trouble

[Olo401]

Good riddance. All those juggatards and the shitty band they worship need to be marched off a fucking cliff.

[Qalbert]

[tyven]

i classify them as fucking faggots. i was hoping BG had a few and they were in here being all juggalicious

[SephYuyX]

Even when I really liked ICP back in the day (were talking mid 90s in early HS) the hardcore juggalos were looked down upon by most, same goes for any other type of music groupie these days; maggots, little monsters, etc.

Just something about taking your "hey this sounds kind of cool" to a really annoying level.

I always thought Great Milenko was their best album, with the rest of their pre 2000 stuff being good too. The second they release their 2000s albums, I was sort of done with them anyway, but their shittier music just put the nail in the coffin.

And what people are saying is right, their music sucks, it's a lot of shock factor, and I had always loved how funny their lyrics were.

I only got in to a little of dark lotus and twiztid, it was all kind of played out by then.

[Silenka]

My first reaction was "Wait, is ICP still a thing?" I remember when they were reaaally popular, and aside from the magnet fiasco, I haven't heard a word about them since I graduated high school...

[Cail]

[Fhqwghads]

People would be more concerned if it weren't for the fact that juggalos are so fucking stupid.

[Neoscrilla]

I always thought Great Milenko was their best album, with the rest of their pre 2000 stuff being good too.

I agree. Most bandwagoners back in the day say Riddle Box, but anyone who really knew ICP back in the day will say that Ringmaster and Milenko were way better.

[wyrmtung]

I still enjoy the SNL skits they do on juggalos.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/113213/sat...round-festival