FBI agents who were photographed kneeling during the 2020 racial justice protest have been fired by the department. About 20 agents were terminated last Friday, Sept. 26, as they kneeled during the protest after George Floyd‘s death. After millions of people witnessed the video of Floyd’s arrest, there were several protests and demonstrations nationwide.
The insiders told AP that many FBI agents were fired, several of whom were seen kneeling during the protest in Washington D.C. The FBI Agents Association has condemned the firing.
Their statement to PEOPLE says, “Agents have earned the basic rights of dignity and due process through years of service and sacrifice, and they deserve nothing less.” The statement emphasizes the ‘unlawful’ dismissal that allegedly violates the process and rights of the agents.
However, their statement didn’t confirm if they were referring to the firings after the racial justice protests. The FBI Agents Association also criticized Kash Patel, the FBI director.
The FBIAA stated, “Patel’s dangerous new pattern of actions are weakening the Bureau because they eliminate valuable expertise and damage trust between leadership and the workforce, and make it harder to recruit and retain skilled agents—ultimately putting our nation at greater risk,” criticizing his leadership.
The FBI agents were part of the Washington protest at the order of Attorney General Bill Barr, deploying the agents at Donald Trump’s orders. At that time, the agents did de-escalate the tension by taking a knee to show their support for the demonstrators.
The photos of them kneeling went viral and reached the FBI departments and politicians. As a result, the incident was reviewed by FBI officials under Director Christopher Wray. He concluded the gesture to not have violated department’s policy.
Before firing the agents on Friday, the departments had reassigned them during the spring. The department hasn’t confirmed the exact number, but insiders believe it to be 20. Floyd’s killing in May 2020 caused an uproar in the nation, leading to protests against racial injustice and police violence.
The FBI agents kneeling angered a few officials, while some understood this was a de-escalation tactic during the protest. There have been firing cases in the department ever since Patel has started to reshape the agency.
Last month, five agents and top executives were fired, leading to a decline in morale. Any agents who were reportedly involved in investigations against Trump were fired.
When he was asked about the firing and taking orders from the White House, he explained that the agents failed to meet the FBI standards, so it had nothing to do with taking orders.
