FBI Fires Agents Who Kneeled During George Floyd Protest

The FBI has dismissed agents who were photographed kneeling during a 2020 racial justice protest following the death of George Floyd.

According to sources cited by the Associated Press, roughly 20 agents were terminated on Friday, Sept. 26. Several of those agents had been seen kneeling during the Washington, D.C., protest.

The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) criticized the firings in a statement to PEOPLE, calling the dismissals “unlawful” and saying they “violate the due process rights” of the agents. The association did not explicitly confirm whether the terminations were connected to the 2020 protests.

“Agents have earned the basic rights of dignity and due process through years of service and sacrifice, and they deserve nothing less,” the FBIAA added. The nonprofit organization was established to “advance and safeguard the careers, economic interests, conditions of employment and welfare” of FBI agents.

The association also took aim at FBI Director Kash Patel, asserting that his leadership is harming the agency.

“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,” the FBIAA stated.

The agents were present at the 2020 Washington, D.C., protest under orders from then-Attorney General Bill Barr, who was prompted to take crowd control measures by President Donald Trump, according to CNN. The agents reportedly chose to kneel in an effort to deescalate tensions between law enforcement and demonstrators.

Photos of the kneeling agents circulated online, drawing criticism from some colleagues and conservative politicians. The incident was reviewed by officials under then-FBI Director Christopher Wray, who concluded that the gesture did not violate any FBI policy.

In a statement to NPR, the FBI declined to comment on personnel matters.