AT A GLANCE
- At least 15 FBI agents were terminated Friday over actions during the 2020 George Floyd protests.
- The FBI Agents Association condemned the firings as “unlawful” and damaging to the Bureau.
- Agents had been photographed kneeling during tense standoffs, reportedly as a de-escalation tactic.
- The dismissals add to a wave of controversial firings under FBI Director Kash Patel, already facing lawsuits.
Agents Fired Over George Floyd Protest Actions
The FBI has dismissed at least 15 agents for their conduct during the nationwide protests that erupted after the killing of George Floyd in 2020. A source familiar with the matter told NBC News the firings stem from incidents where agents, assigned to protect federal buildings, were photographed kneeling during confrontations with protesters. According to the source, the kneeling was intended as a tactic to calm tensions.
Floyd’s Murder Sparked National Protests
The 2020 protests began after Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes.
The killing, captured on video, ignited a global movement demanding racial justice and police accountability.
FBI Association Condemns Firings as “Unlawful”
The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) issued a sharp rebuke, calling the dismissals “unlawful” and a violation of due process rights. The group accused FBI Director Kash Patel of weakening the Bureau by forcing out seasoned personnel.
“Leaders uphold the law — they don’t repeatedly break it,” the FBIAA said in its statement. “Patel’s dangerous new pattern of actions are weakening the Bureau because they eliminate valuable expertise and damage trust between leadership and the workforce.”
Patel Faces Lawsuits and Scrutiny
The controversy follows lawsuits filed by three former top FBI officials, including former acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, who allege Patel targeted them to curry favor with President Donald Trump. Driscoll, who served nearly 20 years, said he was dismissed without explanation after resisting administration pressure to provide a list of FBI employees who investigated Jan. 6 rioters.
Patel defended his actions earlier this month in Senate testimony, saying, “The FBI will only bring cases that are based in fact and law and have a legal basis to do so, and anyone that does otherwise will not be employed at the FBI.”
Firings Add to Broader Political Tensions
The wave of firings comes against the backdrop of Trump’s second term, where one of his earliest executive orders pardoned roughly 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
The move intensified scrutiny of the administration’s pressure campaign against FBI personnel involved in politically sensitive cases.
