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Insane Clown Posse fans can’t rid gang tag in FBI report

Members of rap-metal music group Insane Clown Posse appear at a news conference Jan. 8, 2014 in Detroit. A federal appeals court on Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, ruled in favor of the U.S. government in a dispute over a 2011 FBI report that described the band’s fans as a “loosely organized hybrid gang.” (Carlos Osorio / Associated Press)
Associated Press

DETROIT – Fans of rap-metal music group Insane Clown Posse have lost an appeal to have an FBI report scrubbed of language referring to them as a gang.

The group’s fans are known as Juggalos. They’re upset that a 2011 report given to Congress describes Juggalos as a “loosely organized hybrid gang.” The fans filed a lawsuit in Detroit, blaming the report for harassment by police.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the report carries no direct legal consequences. The court also says the Justice Department isn’t responsible for how other police agencies use information in the annual report.

Juggalos often have jewelry and tattoos with the group’s symbol, a man running with a hatchet.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the court “let the FBI off the hook.” Juggalos aren’t mentioned in subsequent gang reports.