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An armed activist group patrolling Philadelphia streets with rifles says the city retaliated against them by revoking several members’ concealed carry permits after a tense confrontation with police earlier this year.
According to reporting from The Trace, five members of the Black Lion Party for International Solidarity — including chairman Paul Birdsong — received letters from the Philadelphia Police Department informing them their licenses to carry firearms had been revoked.
And yeah… this story gets complicated fast.
The Black Lions have drawn major attention in recent months for conducting heavily armed patrols through Philadelphia neighborhoods while openly carrying rifles and wearing black uniforms modeled after the historic Black Panther Party.
Depending on who you ask, they’re either community defenders, political activists, or a walking heart attack for suburban Facebook groups.
The permit revocations reportedly stem from a January 31 confrontation between members of the group and a Philadelphia police officer in North Philly.
According to Birdsong, members noticed an officer had parked his cruiser facing the wrong direction and partially blocking traffic. Words were exchanged after someone in the group told the officer to move the vehicle.
Birdsong claims the situation escalated when the officer allegedly confronted him with a hand on his firearm before additional officers arrived. No arrests were made. No shots were fired. Everyone eventually walked away.
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Then, nine days later, the permit revocation letters showed up.
The letters reportedly cited “good cause” and concerns over “character and reputation,” while also claiming the armed encounter created “an unreasonable danger to public safety.”
The group’s attorney, Lyandra Retacco, argues the city is abusing vague language inside Pennsylvania’s firearm licensing laws to punish protected First and Second Amendment activity.
And honestly, even people who don’t love the Black Lions politically may find themselves paying attention to that argument.
Because once governments start deciding whose “character” qualifies for gun rights, things get murky fast.
The case has also attracted support from Eric Davanzo, a Republican lawmaker backing legislation that would remove Pennsylvania’s controversial “character and reputation” standard from the state’s gun laws.
Meanwhile, Birdsong says the group’s patrols haven’t stopped.
He claims he’s continued leading them while carrying only non-lethal tools since losing his permit, while other licensed members remain armed.
And in classic Philly fashion, Birdsong already sounds ready for round two.
“I expect to get my license back,” he told The Trace, “and after that I’m going to sue the hell out of them.”
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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