Scary Clowns Come To Israel As ‘It’-Inspired Trend Spreads
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
As the re-make of the Stephen King work “It” hits the movie-screen, some Israeli teens are taking a cue from the film and dressing up as clowns to frighten passers-by.
The Israeli police have detained 15 Israeli children and teens – some of them under the age of 12 – who were donning the costumes and surprising passers-by. Under Israeli law, such activity is illegal – and the police have urged citizens to report such activity.
“The frightening act and intention behind it is usually not to injure or harm the person or their property. In most situations, the best option is to distance oneself from the area and to report the event to police as quickly as possible,” the police said in a statement.
The clowning trend has gone viral on social media, with people around the world posting video of their going out in public as clown on Twitter and Facebook.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
