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.

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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.

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