On September 15, 2017, the day former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley was acquitted for a fatal shooting, Chris Sommers — co-founder of Pi Pizzeria — handed out cups of water to peaceful protesters in the Central West End. He then witnessed police chanting "Whose streets? Our streets!" during arrests. He posted about it on social media and signed a letter with 46 St. Louis business owners supporting Black Lives Matter.
The retaliation
Blue Lives Matter published a critical article. The St. Louis County Police Organization posted phone numbers to all Pi Pizzeria locations on Facebook, hinting supporters should harass him. A "Boycott Pi Pizza" Facebook page was created. Then came the fake reviews.
People who had never visited Pi Pizzeria left Yelp reviews claiming to have found cockroaches, rats, and "bondage equipment" inside the restaurants. Sommers and his family received threats. Fake $600 carry-out orders were called in.
"The love is trumping the hate, but the hate… the hate is just disgusting."
— Chris Sommers
The irony of moderation
Of 588 Pi Pizzeria reviews that Yelp removed, most were actually positive reviews from supporters — legitimate statements by local customers thanking Sommers for standing with protesters. Yelp's moderation ironically censored the supportive reviews more aggressively than the fake negative ones.
What this case reveals
Reviews have been weaponized as a tool of political retaliation. A business owner who exercises free speech can face coordinated destruction of their online reputation by people who have never set foot in the restaurant. When platforms can't distinguish between genuine feedback and organized harassment, the review system becomes a weapon.