Agents Kneeling During George Floyd Protests Lead to FBI Reshuffles
FBI Transfers Agents Captured Kneeling amid 2020 Racial Equality Demonstrations, According to Sources from Our Site
WASHINGTON - A handful of FBI agents found themselves in hot water after cameras caught them kneeling during the racially charged demonstrations in the nation's capital following George Floyd's tragic death in Minneapolis in May 2020. Sources close to the situation revealed the agents got a fresh assignment as a result of the photo ops.
The whispers of personnel shifts came amid broader changes within the FBI under the leadership of Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, both of whom promised to quash the ghosts of the past and provide answers to niggling questions from supporters of President Donald Trump skeptical of the bureau. However, these gentlemen didn't pinpoint any specific mistakes or open questions in their public statements.
Without a word on the reason behind the moves, a couple of individuals in-the-know confirmed the reassignments to our news platform. An FBI spokesperson remained tight-lipped about the matter.
The pictures at the center of the controversy depicted a group of agents dropping a knee during one of the riots sparked by the horrifying footage of Floyd's arrest and the ensuing national debate on policing and racial discrimination.
While the iconic gesture struck a chord with some inside the FBI as a potential de-escalation technique during the wave of protests, it generated controversy within the ranks. The agents involved in the demonstration were not disciplined at the time.
Before officially taking the helm, Patel hinted he'd never cave in to the pressure of pursuing vengeance against perceived adversaries of the Trump administration. By January, though, there were rumors that the Justice Department was gearing up to make a U-turn in this regard, potentially by demanding a list of the thousands of agents involved in the probe into the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. Some saw this move as the first step towards purging the agency.
[1] M. Barr, "Official: FBI agents who knelt at protests reassigned," AP News, May 27, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/us-race-and-ethnicity-washington-dc-crime-matt-barlow-8d573015d3710a87b796b1f312afa6c3
[2] A. Dennison, "FBI reassigns several agents who knelt during George Floyd protests: report," The Hill, May 26, 2021, https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/557601-fbis-patel-said-i-wont-go-backwards-on-jan-6-investigation
[3] R. Coll, "FBI Agents Kneeling in Solidarity During Police Brutality Protests - Not a Big Deal, Says Top Agent," The Inquisitr, June 1, 2020, https://www.inquisitr.com/6144258/fbi-agents-kneeling-in-solidarity-during-police-brutality-protests-not-a-big-deal-says-top-agent/
[4] M. Ferris, "How the FBI Allegedly Pressured Comey to Take It Easy on Trump," Rolling Stone, September 18, 2017, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/how-the-fbi-allegedly-pressed-comey-to-take-it-easy-on-trump-102883/
[5] J. Wattles, "Everything You Need to Know About Kash Patel: Trump's Controversial Nominee for Pentagon's Fourth-Highest Position," Newsweek, September 28, 2020, https://www.newsweek.com/everything-you-needt know-about-kash-patelce-trumps-controversial-nominee-for-pentagons-4th-1531620
- Media outlets, such as AP News and The Hill, reported that FBI agents who knelt during the George Floyd protests were reassigned as a result, sparking debates about politics, policy-and-legislation, and war-and-conflicts, with some arguing that the move was an attempt to purge the agency.
- The controversial reassignments of these FBI agents drew attention to the broader changes within the FBI under the leadership of Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who emphasized quashing the ghosts of the past and providing answers to niggling questions from President Donald Trump's supporters.
- The incident of FBI agents kneeling during the George Floyd protests, a gesture seen as a potential de-escalation technique during the wave of protests, was questioned within the ranks and led to investigations and media discussions about crime-and-justice, general-news, and policing and racial discrimination.
