FBI agents kneel with demonstrators marching on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 2020, amid protests sparked by George Floyd’s death.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
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Jose Luis Magana/AP
On Friday, more than a dozen FBI agents were dismissed, including those captured in photographs kneeling during the racial justice protests of June 2020 following George Floyd’s death, as reported by the FBI Agents Association and various news outlets.
Earlier this year, several of these agents had been reassigned to different roles, widely interpreted as demotions, according to The Washington Post.
These agents had been deployed by then-President Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr to prevent damage to federal buildings in Washington, D.C., during the June 2020 protests, The Washington Post noted.
The Department of Justice’s 2024 inspector general report highlighted that FBI personnel from the Washington Field Office were uncertain about Barr’s directives and felt unprepared and inadequately trained to handle civil unrest situations.
Some agents involved recounted to CNN that when faced with protesters, they chose to kneel as a gesture to calm tensions, which successfully led the crowd to disperse peacefully.
At the time, opinions among FBI staff were split regarding the kneeling gesture. Under then-Director Christopher Wray, the Bureau reviewed the incident and concluded there was no justification for disciplinary action, CNN reported. However, conservative critics, including former Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), condemned both the agents’ conduct and the FBI’s handling of the matter. Subsequently, FBI Director Kash Patel initiated a fresh inquiry into the case.
The FBI Agents Association, representing thousands of current and former agents, condemned the terminations, labeling them as breaches of due process.
In a statement, the association criticized Patel’s recent actions, stating, “This troubling pattern undermines the Bureau by removing experienced personnel, eroding trust between leadership and agents, and complicating recruitment and retention efforts-ultimately jeopardizing national security.”
The FBI has declined to comment on individual personnel decisions. NPR could not independently verify the identities of the dismissed agents.
Additionally, three former senior FBI officials have filed lawsuits against the Bureau, alleging wrongful termination and accusing current leadership of unlawfully targeting individuals perceived as adversaries of former President Trump.
