TEL AVIV – Five knife-wielding teens on the prowl for “scary clowns” were detained by police in the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon Sunday night as the nationwide trend continues to sweep the country.
The teens, aged 13 to 16, told police they were carrying knives and sticks to fight “scary clowns,” the Times of Israel reported.
Police are battling twin phenomena of youths dressed as clowns out to scare people at night and gangs of armed teens that have formed to fight the clowns.
“We will deal severely with these violent incidents,” read a Sunday statement by police, in reference to the “scary clown” issue. “We will not allow the public to be harmed, frightened or harassed, or to have daily life disrupted.”
“At the same time, the police won’t allow anyone to take the law into their own hands. Actions like these will be met with uncompromising enforcement,” the statement continued, addressing the counter-gangs.
In a separate statement, police urged parents to make sure “their children are not taking part in the phenomenon, which may embroil them in criminal proceedings.” The police also asked that private citizens refrain from taking the law into their own hands and do not harm the youth, since in most instances they are not out to harm people but rather are just out for pranks.
Police said the trend was part of an “international trend that has gathered momentum on social media.”
Many are blaming the phenomenon on the recently released horror movie remake It based on a Stephen King novel featuring the clown “Pennywise.”
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