The Memphis City Council’s decision to delay action on proposed data center restrictions led to chaos on Tuesday. Tension escalated after the council voted to postpone any decision on a moratorium or further restrictions related to data centers, as reported by The Commercial Appeal.
The vote triggered boos and unrest among audience members, who stood up in protest. Some council members then left the chamber, effectively ending the meeting, according to the outlet.
An altercation also erupted in the City Hall lobby, although the cause remains unclear, WREG reported. Online video captured the heated argument, which included punches being thrown and someone shouting “sellout.”
Annie Goldman from The Commercial Appeal described the scene on X, noting the heavy police presence and the visible dissatisfaction of advocates. “This is the aftermath of the vote to delay the data center moratorium,” she wrote.
The debate over data center restrictions follows the construction of two hyperscale data centers by Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI in Memphis’ Boxtown and Whitehaven areas.
The activist group Indivisible Memphis had previously taken to Instagram, asserting “Memphis belongs to Memphis — not Elon Musk.”
The situation is still developing with more updates expected.
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