In front of the Lincoln Memorial, Juggalos, as supporters of the rap group Insane Clown Posse are known, rallied and readied for a concert. They are pushing their demand that the FBI rescind its classification of Juggalos as a “loosely organized hybrid gang.”
The rap duo has developed an intensely devoted fan base over the course of a 25-year career, and some fans held signs that said, “Music is Not a Crime.”
A 2011 report by the Justice Department’s Gang Task Force placed the Juggalos, who favor extensive tattoos and outlandish face paint, in the same classification as overtly violent gangs such as the Bloods and the Crips.
The rap group and its fans claim to be a nonviolent community subject to largely class-based discrimination by law enforcement. The band, along with the ACLU, sued the FBI in 2014 seeking to change the classification but with little success so far.