Washington DC - The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently fired a number of agents over a photo showing them kneeling during racial injustice protests five years ago.

According to AP News, sources say that roughly 20 agents were dismissed on Friday over the photo, which was taken in the summer of 2020 during a protest in Washington DC following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.

When the image first emerged, it received criticism from conservative circles, but an investigation found that it did not violate any of the agency's policies.

Many note that the FBI agents, deployed by then-President Donald Trump despite not having crowd control training, knelt to de-escalate tensions with protesters.

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Since returning to the White House in January, Trump and his new administration have been purging federal agencies of individuals who oppose or do not show unwavering allegiance to him and his MAGA agenda.

Earlier this year, the administration reopened the investigation into the photo and originally issued demotions and reassignments to agents in the photo as punishment.

During a recent Senate hearing, FBI Director Kash Patel – a longtime MAGA ally who has already fired numerous employees – insisted he did not do so at Trump's behest, but claimed the agents had failed to meet the FBI's standards.

In a statement, the FBI Agents Association accused Patel of again violating the law "by ignoring these agents' constitutional and legal rights."