No laughing matter: Killing by imposter clowns outrages professional funnymen in El Salvador

Angry clowns decry armed robbery by imposters

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — About 100 professional clowns who make money by performing on public buses marched through Salvadoran capital Thursday to protest the killing of a passenger by two imposter clowns.

On Monday, a man was shot five times in the face and stomach when he declined to give money to two assailants dressed as clowns who boarded a public bus. No one has been arrested.

The protesters — wearing oversized bow ties, tiny hats and big yellow pants — marched down San Salvador’s main street in an effort to both entertain and educate passersby. Several held signs insisting that real clowns are not criminals.

“We are protesting so that people know we are not killers,” said professional clown Ana Noelia Ramirez. “The people who did this are not clowns. They unfortunately used our costume and our makeup to commit a monstrous act.”

Clown-union leader Carlos Vasquez says he plans to issue IDs to all real clowns and urge police to detain those who do not have them.

About a dozen people are killed daily in El Salvador, slayings police attribute primarily to gang members, drug traffickers and other organized crime. More than 6 million people live in the Central American country.