FBI Fires Agents Who Participated in Kneeling During Racial Justice Protests

The FBI has dismissed agents who were photographed kneeling in solidarity during protests in Washington following the death of George Floyd in 2020. While initially reassigned last spring, they have now been officially terminated, according to sources familiar with the matter. The approximate number of agents fired is around 20.

The photographs showed agents kneeling alongside demonstrators during a 2020 protest, a moment that symbolized solidarity amid widespread outrage over Floyd’s death, which was captured on video and sparked a national conversation on police brutality and racial injustice.

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the firings. The move appears part of a larger personnel shakeup as Director Kash Patel leads efforts to reshape the agency’s personnel and direction. Last month, several agents and top officials, including those involved in investigations such as the January 6 Capitol riot, were abruptly dismissed, affecting morale within the bureau.

Some of those dismissed include Steve Jensen, who oversaw the Jan. 6 investigation, and Brian Driscoll, a former acting director who resisted sharing agents’ identities with the Justice Department. The purges have raised concerns over the agency’s internal stability and independence amidst recent political pressures.

Legal actions have also emerged. Jensen, Driscoll, and another former supervisor sued, alleging that Patel communicated an understanding that firing agents involved in investigations related to Trump might be illegal but was carried out under pressure from the White House and Justice Department, which aimed to purge agents probing Trump’s activities.

Patel has denied these allegations, stating before Congress that he had no ties to White House orders and that those fired failed to meet FBI standards.