FBI fires about two dozen agents tied to kneeling during George Floyd protests, reports say

WASHINGTON — The FBI has fired roughly 20 agents who were photographed kneeling outside the agency's headquarters during the 2020 George Floyd protests, according to accounts from The Associated Press and Reuters, which cited contemporaneous reports. The dismissals come as part of a broader personnel reshaping under FBI Director Kash Patel, who has vowed to overhaul the bureau’s culture and reset its standard practices after years of internal criticism. The FBI declined to comment on the terminations. The FBI Agents Association condemned the firings as unlawful, warning they violated civil service protections. "This is a dangerous precedent," the group said, arguing the bureau punished employees for a split-second de-escalation decision in a volatile moment.

Photographs captured a cluster of agents kneeling outside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., amid protests following the May 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Kneeling became a common symbol of support for the Black Lives Matter movement and for calls to address racial justice. Floyd, a Black man, died after a White police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, sparking demonstrations across the United States and around the world.

The kneeling images fed into a national debate about police reform and political bias within federal agencies. Critics inside and outside the bureau argued the terminations reflected a broader purge under Patel, who took the helm during President Donald Trump’s second term and has sought to reshape the FBI’s culture. The Washington Post reported that Patel’s allies framed the kneeling incident as evidence of political bias in the ranks. Agents who spoke to Reuters said they were caught between orders to avoid confrontation and the reality of facing angry crowds. "This wasn’t politics — it was survival," one former agent said.

The firings come amid a broader personnel purge at the bureau as Patel works to reshape the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency. Five agents and top-level executives were known to have been summarily fired last month in a wave of ousters, a development that has drawn comment from lawmakers and labor groups. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Patel’s supporters have described the kneeling controversy as a reflection of a broader culture clash rather than a partisan purge. The kneeling episode, they say, occurred when agents faced volatile crowds and conflicting orders, and the photographs captured a moment of de-escalation in a tense situation. Critics, however, warn that punishing demonstration-era conduct could chill whistleblowing and internal dissent, even when it occurred in a chaotic environment. The FBI has stressed that personnel actions are not taken lightly and that terminations follow formal processes and investigations, though it has provided little public detail about individual cases.

Kash Patel appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation as FBI director in early 2025, a symbolic moment that underscored the scope of his stated mission to reform the bureau. In interviews and briefings, Patel’s supporters have argued that a modern, nonpartisan FBI is essential to public trust, especially as the bureau navigates high-profile investigations and political pressures. Critics, including some former officials and observers, say the firings risk politicizing the agency and undermining morale at a time when trust in federal institutions is a political issue.

The FBI’s leadership shake-up comes amid ongoing debate about accountability and political influence within federal law enforcement. The agency has emphasized routine personnel reviews, citing civil service protections and the need to hold employees to standards of behavior that reflect the bureau’s mission to enforce laws impartially. Still, critics argue that high-profile terminations send a chilling signal to agents who may hesitate to take necessary risks in politically charged environments. The controversy has fueled discussions about how to balance accountability with preserving morale and independence within the FBI as it confronts evolving threats and increasingly divided partisan dynamics.

The FBI Agents Association said in a statement that the firings amount to civil service retaliation and that the bureau must justify why mere demonstrations or pauses in tense moments would justify dismissal. The group cautioned that such moves could create a chilling effect, discouraging personnel from making quick, context-sensitive judgments during volatile operations. Officials within the bureau have noted that the kneeling photographs were taken during a period of heightened tension and public scrutiny for federal law enforcement, and that actions taken were in line with policy and disciplinary standards after careful review. Still, the timing of the terminations, as Patel aims to reshape the agency, has intensified questions about politicization and reform.

The kneeling photographs from 2020 remain a touchstone for debates about the balance between public accountability and the protection of civil liberties in the federal government. The new leadership at the FBI says it seeks to create a more accountable, transparent culture that can respond to both dangers and accusations of bias. Yet as this latest round of terminations unfolds, lawmakers and watchdog groups are watching closely to see whether the changes will be perceived as a legitimate effort to improve the bureau’s culture or as part of a broader political realignment that could affect how federal agencies operate in a polarized political environment. The topic sits squarely at the intersection of law enforcement, civil rights, and partisan politics, a nexus that will continue to shape U.S. politics for the foreseeable future.