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Many people were shocked when Insane Clown Posse sued the FBI for “harassment” in January — they claim their rights were violated because their fans were referred to as a gang — because within hip-hop circles it was clearly an unprecedented move.
However, the lawsuit has been dismissed by Michigan’s Judge Robert Cleland, who says the government agency didn’t have to follow a set of protocols when deeming a particular group a gang. “[The court] does not recommend any particular course of action for local law enforcement to follow, and instead operates as a descriptive, rather than prescriptive, assessment of nationwide gang trends,” wrote Cleland.
Back in 2011, the FBI released a report titled National Gang Threat Assessment: Emerging Trends, which singles out certain groups who have shown gang behavior in the U.S. At least what the feds consider to be gang behavior. The FBI claim Insane Clown Posse weren’t only a gang themselves, but they drew legions of fans across the country, who “exhibit gang-like behavior and engage in criminal activity and violence.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, who helped ICP file the suit, plan to appeal the judge’s dismissal. They feel the FBI was irresponsible for calling the Juggalos a gang. “The only way to remedy this injustice for all innocent Juggalos is to start with the root of the problem,” wrote ACLU’s Micheal J. Steinberg in a statement.
“There is no doubt that the FBI created this problem and the solution begins there as well. Otherwise, we’ll be playing whack-o-mole to stop local law enforcement agencies from discriminating against our clients, when the agencies are just following the FBI’s lead.”
Do you think ICP’s fans should be labeled a “gang”? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
