You might think emo kids have it tough here in the States. They always look awkward and every once and while they might get dirty looks, or people yelling insults at them from passing cars -- but they've nothing on their counterparts in Mexico and Chile. In Latin America, your choice to shop at Hot Topic can make you a target of mob violence.

No one is sure exactly how the violence against Pete Wentz wanabees got started, but a lot of it being blamed on a TV personality name Kristoff. Sometime after he went off on a rant about how emo sucks, mobs of punk and metal fans have been descending on the poor little emo kids and giving them the ol' beat down. Kristoff has called for an end to the violence, but it seems like the sins of emo-fashion will not go unpunished.

An 800 person mob gathered in the town of Querataro back in early March that resulted in a bunch of torn up black t-shirts and emo-hair getting messed up. Threats have also been made that next month's National Fair in Tijuana will be marred by anti-emo violence. Similar clashes of youth culture have been reported in Chile between the various "urban tribes" -- although not on the scale of those going on in Mexico.

In a few cases, "emos" have responded by holding peaceful marches through town plazas. Pretty weird stuff huh? I can't really find anything good to say about emo in general, but don't beat the kids up. Geez.

[via PerezHilton]