The FBI has fired 15 agents who knelt with protesters during the George Floyd demonstrations in 2020. The decision followed a months-long review of the incident. Agents who were present but did not kneel kept their jobs.
The FBI Agents Association criticized Director Kash Patel, saying the dismissals violated due process and harmed morale. The group warned that firing experienced agents weakens the Bureau and makes it harder to recruit and retain talent.
The kneeling took place in Washington, DC, when protesters confronted FBI agents during tense demonstrations. Some agents chose to kneel to ease tensions, inspired by National Guard soldiers who had done the same. The move worked, calming the crowd and avoiding violence.
At the time, FBI leadership under Director Christopher Wray found no policy violation. But this year, new leaders reopened the review. Agents involved were reassigned to lower positions before being dismissed on Friday.
The firings are part of broader efforts by new FBI leadership to remove what former President Donald Trump has called “woke” and politicized elements within the Bureau. The Justice Department is also reviewing the work of more than 1,500 agents linked to past controversial cases.
