J.G. Vibes

Activist Post Every year the FBI releases their annual National Gang Threat Assessment, an official memo that lists and describes the gangs and terrorist organizations that the agency has their eye on. The list is usually a mix of legitimately violent gangs, as well as nonviolent activist groups, local community militias and generally anyone who the government doesn’t like. Last November the most recent edition of this list caught the attention of the alternative rap group The Insane Clown Posse because their fans were actually featured on this list. The Insane Clown Posse has a large cult following which refer to themselves as “Juggalos” and wear the merchandise and colors of the group. This is similar to concept behind the “Dead Heads” that followed the Grateful Dead in the ’60s, or the “Kiss Army” of the 70s.

The vast majority of these people are just music fans who have found acceptance in a social group, and while most of them are far from mainstream there is absolutely no reason for them to be classified as a violent gang. The apparent reasoning behind this classification is that since there have been incidences where people identifying with this group have committed crimes, that means that there is a calculated and organized effort behind these crimes.

This sort of collectivistic reasoning is typical of government, but it is very dangerous to judge whole entire groups of people according to the actions of individuals. The FBI has recently had problems distinguishing ordinary American Muslims from terrorists , so it should come as no surprise that they cant tell the difference between a social clique and a terrorist cell. On August 24, ICP’s legal team filed a Freedom of Information Act request demanding the FBI release whatever information led the organization to label Juggalos a gang. After getting no response from the agency the band’s representatives filed suit against the FBI in the U.S. District Court for “its failure to produce any documentary evidence in support of the FBI’s classification of the groups’ fan base.”