(MENAFN) The FBI has dismissed a group of agents who were photographed kneeling during the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations in Washington, according to reports.

The firings reportedly involve between 15 and 20 employees, several of whom are military veterans, who were accused of violating bureau standards, according to multiple media outlets.

The incident occurred in June 2020, shortly after George Floyd died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when a police officer knelt on his neck for over nine minutes. Floyd’s death sparked nationwide and global protests under the BLM movement, with kneeling adopted as a symbolic gesture of solidarity.

Photographs from that period showed FBI personnel kneeling on the streets during tense interactions with demonstrators in Washington, DC. Critics, both inside and outside the bureau, accused the agents of exhibiting political bias. Supporters argued the action was meant to de-escalate tensions and prevent violence.

Many of the BLM protests were accompanied by rioting, looting, arson, and clashes between Antifa and right-wing counter-protesters, causing disruptions in major cities. While strict COVID-19 restrictions were still in place, mass gatherings advocating racial justice were broadly supported by political opponents of President Donald Trump as “mostly peaceful” expressions of free speech.

The FBI Agents Association criticized the dismissals as “unlawful,” stating that they violated civil service protections and due process. “Leaders uphold the law – they don’t repeatedly break it,” the group said in a statement, urging Congress to examine the decision made by FBI Director Kash Patel.

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