You might have seen those photos of FBI agents kneeling during the protest over George Floyd‘s death in 2020. And yeah, they definitely caused a stir. The agents were captured on camera kneeling in solidarity with the protesters, which some people thought was a powerful statement.
But, turns out the higher-ups at the FBI weren’t too happy about it. The agents have been demoted for their actions, which is pretty surprising given the support for the Black Lives Matter movement nowadays.
The female agents from the now infamous photo are now in supervisory positions, which many inside the bureau view as a demotion, according to the New York Times.
At least four had been in senior roles, including in counterterrorism, counterintelligence and cybercrimes, when they learned in recent days they would be reassigned, the Washington Post reports.
Insiders told CNN the FBI offered no explanation for changing their roles to less coveted positions.
But the change comes amid a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s new FBI Director Kash Patel to root out what the president has called ‘woke’ and politicized elements within the bureau.
Some who worked on criminal cases against Trump and led field offices across the country have reportedly also been removed from their positions, often without any reason, according to the Washington Post.
Yet some former FBI officials told CNN they worry that the recent staff changes are a sign that the bureau is bypassing its regular disciplinary process – as the agents have previously been found to have done nothing wrong.
‘This notion that the bureau would go after these people, it’s just disgusting,’ a former official told CNN.
The agents in question had been based in DC when former police officer Derek Chauvin was filmed kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as he cried out that he couldn’t breathe.
The viral incident sparked mass protests across the country that at times turned violent and left cities vandalized.
It just goes to show that even in a time when speaking out against injustice is more important than ever, there can still be consequences for taking a stand. But hey, props to those agents for standing up for what they believe in – even if it cost them their position.
Flip to the next page for the viral photo…
