‘Free 901 Protest’ Voices Opinion Against National Guard in Memphis

by Harrison Klopp

Sep 27, 2025 / 06:00 PM CDT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the National Guard and 300 additional troopers will be in Memphis as early as Monday, dozens are protesting their arrival.

More than 100 people took to the streets Saturday to say they don’t want the National Guard in Memphis during the Free 901 Protest.

The event started outside juvenile court and headed a mile down to Memphis City Hall where traffic was stopped.

Many of those protesting brought many different signs and had a variety of chants against President Trump’s plan.

Republican Tenn. State Senator Brent Taylor issued a statement on the event calling it a “purple-haired hippy gathering.” Taylor says Memphis needed trusted conservative leadership.

The protest was peaceful, including dancing and singing. The group didn’t deny that crime exists in Memphis, but they don’t see the National Guard as the solution.

WREG’s Harrison Klopp spoke with Tenn. State Representative GA Hardaway who attended the event and says the National Guard might mitigate problems in the short term, but long term they’ll come right back.

“You’ll see a temporary impact. When they leave, what happens? Crime is going to come back up, we learned that through covid, we had that severe drop, but then after covid was lifted, we had that severe surge,” Hardaway said. “So unless you can cut it off at the source, we’re going to have the same thing after the National Guard leaves that we had before they came.”