In early July, Miles Tamboli, owner of Tamboli's Pasta & Pizza in midtown Memphis, announced he would not serve national guard troops deployed by the Trump administration to reduce crime. The decision came after troops killed two residents, bringing the total to four since the federal taskforce initiative began in September.
Conservative accounts like Libs of TikTok and Fox News Radio host Todd Starnes called for a boycott, but the restaurant saw a packed house and a waiting line by 5:30 p.m. Waitstaff said the shop was never that crowded that early; extra crew was brought in to help. Business is up 'a great amount,' Tamboli said.
Community rallies behind peaceful protest
Patrons cited exhaustion with police overreach and a desire for safe forms of protest. 'While I do not blame the national guard for being in Memphis since it was not their choice, I stand by businesses refusing service as a form of resistance and protest,' said Sarah Jones, dining with her family. She noted that police fired teargas at a No Kings march, limiting public demonstrations.
Carol Bigam, a retired Memphian, said, 'If you have a small family-owned business that says, “I can’t serve you,” it really should be OK. Is he not allowed free speech? He was very professional about it.'
Federal taskforce faces scrutiny after fatalities
Donald Trump announced the federal taskforce in Memphis last year, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee activated the national guard for high-visibility patrols. The taskforce includes over a thousand FBI, DEA, and HSI agents, despite a declining violent crime rate. Local governments largely acquiesced, but a string of fatal shootings has eroded public support.
On 13 May, taskforce agents killed Darrin Pigram, 41, while serving a warrant at a Burger King. On 21 May, officers killed Jonah Neal, 25, after responding to a report of an armed man. On 5 July, national guard soldiers fatally shot Tyrin Johnson, 20, during a police pursuit. Three days later, DEA agents killed Alphonso Ivy, 47, at a motel.
Online backlash and real-life support
Tamboli faced rightwing review bombing on Google and threats against his family, forcing them to stay elsewhere. He engaged with one detractor who sent a screenshot of a Grok AI chatbot response claiming the shop wasn't doing well. 'I feel like that tells you everything you need to know about this group of people and their hold on reality,' Tamboli said.
'People are going to participate in a much less public endeavor,' Jones said. 'So they’ll do the 901 boycott, or they’ll do the 901 “buy-cott”, but they’re not going to put their lives on the line.'
