The Insane Clown Posse performs a “Faygo Armageddon,” a tradition of spraying the Detroit-made soft drink at the end of a show. (Photo by Scott Gries/ImageDirect)

The Insane Clown Posse performs a “Faygo Armageddon,” a tradition of spraying the Detroit-made soft drink at the end of a show. (Photo by Scott Gries/ImageDirect)

More than a year ago, rap rock duo Insane Clown Posse announced a march on Washington slated for September 2017.

Now, the Juggalo March is less than a month away, and it’ll be sharing the National Mall with a pro-Trump rally and three other demonstrations that have applied for permits for September 16, 2017 on National Mall-administered lands, according to National Park Services spokesperson Mike Litterst.

Juggalo is the term used for fans of the Insane Clown Posse, fronted by Violent J and 2 Dope, often recognizable through clown face paint, and they’re gathering to protest a government classification that they say has actively harmed them through harassment by law enforcement, job losses, dismissal from military service, eviction, and lost child custody.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations called Juggalos “a loosely-organized hybrid gang” in a 2011 report, and another government report characterizes Juggalos are a “nationwide white gang.”

“Many Juggalos subsets exhibit gang-like behavior and engage in criminal activity and violence,” the FBI report reads. “Most crimes committed by Juggalos are sporadic, disorganized, individualistic, and often involve simple assault, personal drug use and possession, petty theft, and vandalism.”

Alongside the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, Insane Clown Posse sued the government in 2014 over the classification. Some of the affected Juggalos live in Virginia, according to testimonials on the event website.

Laura K., of Fredericksburg, Va., says that while serving probation for driving under the influence, a tattoo on her neck of a Hatchetman caused her probation officer to classify her as a gang member, changing the conditions of her probation.

[The revised probation conditions] were extensive, and included things such as random home visits, and the inability to set foot on any school grounds, even to see my niece’s dance recital. I would no longer be allowed to attend concerts or see my friends. I pleaded with her that my Juggalo friends were some of the most positive people in my life, and that attending shows was also helpful to me as a music business student. It made no difference. I had to provide all of my Facebook information, as any pictures showing my hatchet tattoos or having any person with Juggalo content on their profile on my friends list would be an automatic violation.

… I have no problem serving my debt to society for the crime that I committed. But being labeled a violent gang member for life for the music I choose to listen to is a crime in itself. ICP appeals to the misfits of our society, some of whom may be predisposed to committing crimes regardless of their choice in music, but not because of this musical preference.

Another Virginian, Jessica, was put on pre-disciplinary leave from the Virginia Department of Corrections for “posting ‘pictures, images, or information suggesting identification with a Security Threat Group (Juggalos) or which portray security threat group in a positive and appealing manner,'” according to a letter from the DOC posted on the website.

Andrew D., of Roseland, Va., detailed consequences that range from frustrating, like not being able to use his car for a road test at the Department of Motor Vehicles because it had a Juggalo-related bumpersticker, to the life-altering, like being denied from enlisting in the military for a Hatchetman tattoo. “I know people who have tattoos of other bands like the Grateful Dead or Lady Gaga—why aren’t they classified like Juggalos are?” he writes.

The Juggalo March begins at noon at the Lincoln Memorial, and demonstrators will march east in a loop to return to the Lincoln Reflecting Pool for a post-march rally and concert.

On the day of the rally, the “Juggalo Family must truly shine and show America and the world that we are not a gang, public menace, cult, or any of the other untrue labels they have attempted to slap on us throughout the years. We must collectively show them that we truly are a family that is united by a shared love of music and fellowship,” the event website says.

According to its permit application, the Juggalo March is expecting about 3,000 participants.

Also on the Mall that day will be the Mother Of All Rallies (M.O.A.R.), a demonstration featuring pro-Trump speakers that “are coming together to send a direct message to Congress, the media, and the world that we stand united not divided to protect and preserve American culture,” said organizer Tommy Gunn, a far right internet personality known as the Pissed Off American, in a Facebook live video.

MOAR begins at 11 a.m. by the Washington Monument and heads to the White House, and its permit estimates 1,000-5,000 people in attendance.

There are 29 public gathering events happening on September 16 that have applied for and secured National Park Service applications for public gathering permits, says Litterst of NPS, 19 of them for National Mall-administered land. Of those 19, five are for First Amendment purposes.

In preparation for the march, Juggalo-affiliated groups are sending out advice for participants.

Filed Under: juggalo, national mall, national park service, protest, trump,