FBI fires agents who knelt during 2020 racial justice protesters over George Floyd's killing: Report

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA)—The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has fired about 20 agents, including several who knelt alongside demonstrators during the 2020 protests over the police killing of George Floyd, according to a CNN report Friday.

Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed on May 25, 2020, when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on his neck for nearly 10 minutes. His death set off global protests against racism and police brutality, with demonstrations spreading far beyond the United States.

The kneeling gesture by agents was intended to defuse tensions with protesters, but photos of the incident later triggered controversy, especially in conservative media. An internal review at the time found no policy violations, yet FBI leaders reassessed the episode earlier this year, reassigning the agents before ultimately dismissing them, the report says.

CNN, citing people briefed on the matter, said around 15 of those dismissed were connected to the kneeling incident in Washington, DC, which drew both praise and backlash at the time.

The firings followed a review by the FBI’s inspection division and recommendations by the bureau’s general counsel.

The FBI Agents Association criticized the move, telling CNN that the dismissals violated the due process rights of the agents and accusing FBI Director Kash Patel of weakening the bureau by sidelining experienced personnel.