Chairman Paul Birdsong of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, an armed militant group claiming to protect anti-ICE protesters. Illustration compiled from photos shared across numerous social media accounts and platforms.

“Won’t no ICE agent ever run up on me! I’ll put a hole in their chest the size of a window.” Chairman Paul Birdsong of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense said at an ICE protest in Philadelphia in a recent interview.

Armed members of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense have become more visible in Philadelphia following the January 2026 self-defense shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. The group appeared at anti-ICE protests at Philadelphia City Hall carrying military-style weapons, including a semiautomatic shotgun, which Birdsong displayed while advising his followers to obtain more powerful weapons than those carried by ICE.

Birdsong told reporters that federal agents attempting to enforce immigration law should expect violent resistance: “If you think you about to come and brutalize the people while we’re standing here, f— around and find out.” Birdsong said members attended the protest the day after the Minneapolis shooting and claimed their presence could have prevented the killing.

Videos of Birdsong’s statements have gone viral on social media platforms, garnering overwhelming support in forums like Reddit’s Suppressed_News, where users described the footage as “the most based video I’ve seen all week” and expressed wishes that the group members “be watched over and protected in all that they do.” The group’s statements on armed resistance to ICE drew a disturbing amount of support across social media platforms, with supporters praising the Black Panther Party’s revival as a bulwark against state violence.

Birdsong stated that federal law enforcement officers “should be fearful of the public” and described the group’s approach as meeting authorities “with equal force,” adding that the modern iteration is “the same Panther Party from back in the day, but we’re a little more aggressive now.” He called for ICE to be abolished and the Trump administration held accountable for the shooting. The Trump administration defended the ICE agent, with Vice President J.D. Vance asserting the officer acted in self-defense.

The group could have chosen any name, but instead, has adopted the “Panther” moniker used by an organization designated as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for racism and antisemitism. The New Black Panther Party, which has existed since the late 1980s, was labeled by the ADL as the most extreme organized racist and antisemitic African-American group in the United States.

This new group distinguishes itself from the original Black Panthers by claiming to be internationalist rather than Black nationalist, describing itself as allied with oppressed people regardless of ethnic or cultural background. The deliberate choice to use this controversial name, one previously associated with organizations advocating violence and designated as extremist, remains significant.

A separate group, the New Black Panther Party, gained infamy for a 2008 voter intimidation incident in Philadelphia when two members, King Samir Shabazz and Jerry Jackson, stood outside a polling location wearing paramilitary-style uniforms, with one brandishing a nightstick. The Bush administration’s Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit under the Voting Rights Act against the NBPP, its chairman, and the two men at the polling location.

When the defendants failed to appear in court, a default judgment was entered in April 2009. However, the Obama administration’s DOJ reversed course in May 2009, dropping charges against three of the four defendants and seeking only a limited injunction against Shabazz.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights investigated whether DOJ enforced voting rights in a race-neutral manner. Two career attorneys who worked the case testified that the department had a policy against pursuing cases where the defendants were minorities and the victims were white, an allegation the Civil Rights Division leadership denied.

Birdsong states he was recruited following George Floyd’s death in 2020 and has been trained by surviving members of the original Black Panther Party. The Philadelphia chapter has fewer than 100 members and has operated weekly free food programs in North Philadelphia for several years, distributing fresh produce, packaged food, hygiene items, clothing, and hot meals funded by member contributions and community donations.

Residents interviewed said the programs provide meaningful help, particularly for seniors and families with limited income. The group recently moved into a building at 2123 N. Gratz Street, which Birdsong claims once served as the original Philadelphia headquarters of the Black Panther Party. The group describes itself as a revival of the original Black Panther Party founded in Oakland in 1966, which combined armed self-defense with community programs before being targeted by the FBI.

The Philadelphia chapter of the original party was active from 1968 to 1973 and included figures who later held civic roles. The modern group claims continuity with this original organization through mentorship by surviving members, though it does not claim formal legal continuity with the historic national organization.

The armed posture and tough rhetoric appear to skirt if not cross  the lines dividing free speech from calls to action or threats. Legal experts noted that open carry is generally lawful in Pennsylvania but requires a license in Philadelphia, a designated first-class city. Civil rights commentators interviewed by local outlets have questioned whether an armed formation, even one that emphasizes discipline and non-aggression, could escalate tensions with police or other armed actors, and have contrasted Birdsong’s strategy with non-violent protest traditions.

Group members reject concerns about escalation and say weapons provide safety and deterrence. Birdsong and other members stated they felt secure operating openly while armed and insisted their activities have not drawn police interference. Birdsong described the federal government as corrupt and predatory, framing the group’s actions as protection of the public.