&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Weakening the Bureau': FBI fires agents who 'bent the knee' during George Floyd protests amid anti-woke crackdown")
The FBI has dismissed a group of agents who were photographed kneeling at a racial justice protest following the death of George Floyd, CBS News reported.
Why were the agents sacked?
Termination letters reportedly cited a “lack of judgment” in their actions. Between 15 and 20 agents are believed to have been removed. They were pictured kneeling with demonstrators in 2020, after Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis.
Kneeling became a symbol of protest
Floyd’s death, caused by Chauvin pressing his knee on his neck for more than nine minutes, sparked worldwide outrage and protests against police brutality. Chauvin is now serving a 22-and-a-half-year sentence for murder.
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Kneeling had already been used in the US as a symbol of dissent against racism, most notably by NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. At the time of the demonstrations, some officers and agents argued that kneeling was a way to calm tensions with protesters, rather than an endorsement of their views.
FBI faces internal backlash
The FBI Agents Association condemned the dismissals, saying the agents’ rights had been violated. In its statement, it accused FBI Director Kash Patel of a “dangerous new pattern of actions” that was “weakening the Bureau” and making it harder to attract and keep experienced staff.
The reported firings come as the Trump administration moves to remove what it calls left-wing or “woke” influences from across the federal government.
Wider purge at the Bureau
The sackings are the latest in a string of high-level departures at the agency. Former acting director Brian Driscoll, former Washington field office head Steven Jensen, and Spencer Evans, the former Las Vegas field office chief, were all removed recently.
Earlier this month, the three men filed a lawsuit against Patel and US Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging they were dismissed to please Donald Trump.
