Racial tensions erupted during an armed demonstration outside a Nation of Islam mosque in Dallas on Saturday.

Anti-radicalization protesters from the Bureau of American Islamic Relations turned up with semi-automatic rifles, clad in skeleton masks as they confronted members of the New Black Panther Party.

Hundreds of black activists meant the group was outnumbered as they lined up behind barricades on Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard.

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Anti-Muslim protesters from the Bureau of American Islamic Relations turned up at a Nation of Islam Mosque in Dallas with rifles and clad in skeleton masks to confront members of the New Black Panther Party

Hundreds of black activists meant the group were outnumbered as they lined up behind barricades on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. They were eventually told to leave by police

According to Fox 4, they only stood firm for a few minutes before police told them to leave for their own safety.

As they left, the protesters chanted: 'Black power'.

A large number of officers were on duty, fearing racial overtones of the rally would turn into violence.

Activist Olinka Green told the Dallas Morning News: 'This is what they fear - the black man. This is what America fears.'

Yafeuh Balogun of the Huey P Newton Gun Club added: 'It's a people's victory here in South Dallas today.'

The Bureau of American Islamic Relations, or BAIR, rallies against what it calls radical Islam.

In a Facebook post about the counter-protest, one of the organizers wrote: 'We have decided to Protest the Nation of Islam for promoting violence against Americans openly and publicly. This is NOT about color of skin, not a white vs black thing, (not for us anyway).

'This is about RADICAL ISLAM. They have threatened to continue killing Cops, Random White People and their children to further their agenda of hate and dominance through violence.

The Bureau of American Islamic Relations was met by members of the Dallas Black Panthers (pictured) organization when they arrived at the mosque

Members of the Dallas Black Panther group stood their ground as Bureau of American Islamic Relations members staged their protest

Members of the Dallas Black Panthers group guarded the church as Bureau of American Islamic Relations members staged a protest

'They have teamed up with C.A.I.R. and that is unacceptable as well. We cannot stand by while all these different Anti American, Arab radical Islamists team up with Nation of Islam/Black Panthers and White anti American Anarchist groups, joining together in the goal of destroying our Country and killing innocent people to gain Dominance through fear

'We will be going in full gear for self defense only. This is a full gear situation, We have a comprehensive security plan for this event, all the bases are covered, you will be briefed by B.A.I.R. Team leaders and DPD as to how the security and self defense procedures will be handled.

'There are back up forces, staged strategically around the entire area. Your safety is paramount to B.A.I.R so we have taken extreme precautions.

'Again I repeat this is a FULL GEAR situation, not required but recommended. We will have the means in place to protect those who do not have weaponry and gear so come one come all its time to stand now, stand for what you believe in and don't let evil win.'

Police said the event ended without incident, according to Raw Story.

WHAT IS BAIR? The Bureau of American Islamic Relations is an anti-radicalization organization The organization rallies against what it calls radical Islam The organization claims that radical Islam has 'threatened to continue killing Cops, Random White People and their children to further their agenda of hate and dominance through violence' It claims to 'stand in opposition (on all levels)' with the Council On American-Islamic Relations Advertisement

NEW BLACK PANTHER PARTY The New Black Panther Party is a black political organization founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1989 It is not an official successor of the Black Panther Party The NBPP claims to hold up the legacy of the BPP Its website claims: 'The SOLE PURPOSE of a Panther is to be a REVOLUTIONARY in the Black/Afrikan People's liberation struggle, and to mobilize the masses towards self determination'. Advertisement

The police department released a statement about the event prior to the protest beginning, The Blaze reported.

'The department is committed to protecting the Constitutional rights of all citizens and will make every effort to keep this protest peaceful,' the statement said.

Mosque supporter Purlie Gates was upset about the protest, according to CBS Dallas-Fort Worth.

'These people came to our community under false pretenses,' Gates said. 'Could we do the same thing?

'Could we make some allegations about a group in Highland Park and arm a militia and say we are going to go over there with arms and protest? That would have been stopped at city hall. The police would have stopped that.'

Krystal Muhammad of the New Black Panther Party told FOX 4 last week that they would be at the mosque to make sure no BAIR members went inside.

'We won’t allow anybody to come in and try to intimidate our brothers and sisters,' she said.

Despite the success with the counter protest, it should be noted that the Southern Poverty Law Center considers thew New Black Panther Party to be a hate group.

People stood watch on the roof of the African-American mosque as the Bureau of American Islamic Relations organization staged a protest