The FBI has reassigned several agents who were photographed kneeling during protests over the killing of George Floyd nearly five years ago, according to a report.
The agents took a knee – a gesture to express dissent against perceived racial injustices – during Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, DC, in June of 2020.
At least four of the kneelers were reassigned to positions widely viewed as demotions, according to the Washington Post.
The transferred agents previously held senior roles in counterintelligence, counterterrorism and cybercrimes, the outlet reported.
They were not given a reason for their transfers, according to the publication.
The decision by the agents to take a knee was viewed by some as necessary to de-escalate the demonstration – as several Floyd-related protests turned violent that summer – and by others as a political statement.
“Those agents were not ever trained to be in that situation,” a former agent familiar with the matter told the Washington Post. “Riot control is not our mission. We are trained to de-escalate.’’
The FBI Agents Association reportedly rewarded the kneelers with $100 gift cards for their actions during the protest.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) claimed in 2023 that he had learned some of the kneeling agents received “plum personnel opportunities and promotions and advancements” from the bureau.
“Many FBI personnel we were trusting to be on the front lines were photographed kneeling in surrender to people who at times were violent,” Gaetz told Fox News at the time.
“To climb the ladder in federal employment, you shouldn’t have to shimmy up the woke totem pole,” he added, describing the behavior of the agents as “demoralizing.”
“The purpose of law enforcement is to keep people safe, not to engage in politics,” Gaetz argued. “And for the last several years, we’ve seen the FBI more interested in virtue signaling and political activity than in just the nuts and bolts in evaluating the facts and the law.”
The Trump administration has reportedly moved to investigate, reassign and oust several senior FBI officials, including those involved in the raid of President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and the investigation of Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot participants.
The FBI declined to comment on personnel matters.
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