The vote, on an amendment by Councilman Chase Carlisle to delay the moratorium and five related data center restrictions, passed late in the Oct. 6 meeting.
Moments later, protesters in the crowd of more than 200 people surged forward with bullhorns, shouting "sellouts" and "if we don't get it, shut it down" as councilors huddled at the dais.
Council Chairwoman Jana Swearengen Washington called for a recess and ordered police officers to clear out the hall, according to a livestream of the meeting. Councilors left the chamber, bringing the night's business to an early end. Officers escorted the remaining attendees out, and no other agenda items were discussed.
A 7-5 vote ends the night
Carlisle's amendment to postpone drew yes votes from Carlisle, Ford Canale, Rhonda Logan, Philip Spinosa, Jeff Warren, Janika White, and Yolanda Cooper-Sutton. Voting no were J.B. Smiley Jr., Jerri Green, Pearl Eva Walker, Michalyn Easter-Thomas, and Washington herself.
The postponed measure would have imposed a temporary 12-month pause on new data center development and permitting within city limits, while related proposals would have tightened zoning rules on where data centers can be built.
The council had already delayed the moratorium once before, moving it from a September committee session to the Oct. 6 meeting.
Cooper-Sutton, who cast a yes vote for the delay, was also the first council member to advance an ordinance against data centers, and during the meeting she emphasized that she had spoken out against data centers, specifically SpaceXAI facilities, as far back as 2024.
Protesters overrun the chamber
Immediately after the vote, the audience erupted. One protester led a chant of "ain't no power like the power of the people" through a bullhorn, while the crowd pressed toward the dais shouting "this is our city" and "show me what democracy looks like," according to video from KWAM News Radio.
At least two women became engaged in a fight near the chamber exits during the commotion, though no arrests were made, local station WREG reported. Police eventually succeeded in removing the crowd from the meeting hall.
Roughly 100 protesters had come for what was scheduled to be the final vote on the data center moratorium.
The facilities at the heart of the fight sit on the Tennessee-Mississippi border between Memphis and Southaven, where Musk's companies have expanded AI data center operations — the same operations that have drawn scrutiny from local environmental groups over power and water use.
What's next for Memphis's data centers
Following the meeting's premature end, dozens of attendees gathered outside City Hall to continue voicing their concerns. Memphis Community Against Pollution, a local advocacy group, has been pressing the council for months to act, telling officials during public comment that the time to step up has passed.
The moratorium is now expected to be revisited at the council's Oct. 20 meeting, when the postponed vote will be back on the agenda. Until then, the future of new data center construction in Memphis — and the limits the city may place on it — remains unresolved.
By Hamza Faisal
