A man recognized as Paul Birdsong, Chairman of the Black Panther Party, stood tall in West Philadelphia, exuding courage as he firmly challenged the police. His defiance captured the attention of many who now see him as a fearless leader.
In a video posted on Instagram by one of his supporters, Birdsong is seen standing directly in front of several police officers, declaring, “Don’t hurt people.” His words didn’t sit well with one officer, who immediately stepped forward and warned him sternly, “You better not step towards me again.”
The officer continued to try to intimidate Birdsong, but he refused to back down. He fired back, calling the officer out: “You shouldn’t have a badge on, you f**ing bully!” The exchange grew heated until another officer stepped in and pulled his colleague away from the confrontation.
Birdsong, visibly fed up, continued addressing the police with a booming voice. He urged them to focus on the community they were supposed to protect, to fix its problems instead of creating more. Determined to drive his message home, he cautioned bystanders to stay 50 feet back while he made his stand, telling the officers directly, “I’m by myself, and I’m not scared of anyone.”
As tensions eased slightly, Birdsong explained the source of his anger. He accused the police of punching and stepping on people, even acting it out for emphasis. Some officers seemed to agree with his point, responding with “Right.” But the officer he had clashed with earlier returned, once again attempting to dismiss his words. Without hesitation, Birdsong shot back, “That’s why you’re a pig.”
Turning to the crowd that had gathered in support, he made a distinction: “Police officers who serve the community, they’re cool. But when police officers laugh at people having seizures because they slammed them on the ground, that’s a pig. Right? When police punch you, and punching is not part of their policy, that’s a pig!”
Empowering the people further, he told them they had no reason to fear the police. He urged them to arm themselves legally, pulling out his own gun license as proof. “You need to get a gun and a license,” he advised. Wrapping up his fiery message, he assured the crowd that Black people would never be mistreated on his watch.
As he prepared to leave, an officer asked for his name. Without hesitation, he replied, “My name is Paul Birdsong. I’m the chairman of the Black Panther Party of the South Bank.”
The video sparked strong reactions online as one supporter commented, “Community leadership!! That’s what I’m talking about! Stand on it and come together!” Another added, “Absolutely, they need to hear this.” One viewer even endorsed him for a higher calling, writing, “A man of presidential caliber. I’d vote for him. He has shown more courage speaking truth in three minutes than anyone I’ve seen in government.”
Others echoed the sentiment, “More of this. More contributing members to society pushing the line in their communities.”
According to the caption of the video, Birdsong had been called to the scene to stand up for fellow Black people,something he did without hesitation.
