The FBI has let go of an agent who was photographed kneeling during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, according to reports from the Associated Press that surfaced late Friday.
Two sources indicated to the Associated Press that about 20 agents were dismissed, with additional confirmations regarding the incident.
Further details revealed that some agents had been reassigned last spring due to their conduct during the protests.
The images in question showed a group of agents kneeling in solidarity during the demonstrations in Washington, which erupted after George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020.
The tragedy triggered widespread anger and massive protests that were closely monitored by law enforcement at both local and federal levels.
In an internal memo from 2020, the FBI referred to the protests as a “national crisis.” David Bowditch, who was the acting director of the FBI at the time, urged the bureau to look into “violent protesters, agitators,” and others involved.
This round of firings comes as part of a larger restructuring within the FBI and amid increased scrutiny of the agency under the leadership of Kash Patel, who has faced criticism due to his lack of prior law enforcement experience.
Patel, last month, dismissed several executives and agents, including those rumored to have investigated the events surrounding the January 6th Capitol riots in 2021.
Among those let go was Brian Driscoll, the former acting director of the FBI, who had turned down an earlier proposal to oversee the agents involved in cases beyond January 6th.
Driscoll, along with two other ex-high-ranking agents, initiated a lawsuit against Patel this month, alleging that their terminations were part of a “retaliation campaign” rooted in insufficient “political loyalty.”
The fired agent noted that Patel’s actions have contributed to a decline in morale within the bureau, while Patel claimed the directive to terminate came from a higher authority.
Critics have accused the Trump administration of dismissing federal employees who are seen as either supporting or opposing its agenda.
In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “President Trump is only interested in the best and most qualified people who are willing to implement America’s first agenda on behalf of the American people. It’s not for everyone, and that’s acceptable.”
