The FBI has fired as many as 20 agents, including a group linked with a 2020 incident in which agents were pictured kneeling with demonstrators at the height of protests over the police killing of George Floyd, two people briefed on the matter mentioned.

The latest round of dismissals at the bureau comes at the end of a review by the FBI inspection division and recommendations evaluated by the bureau’s general counsel’s office.

As many as 20 people were terminated on the spot after they were caught on video taking the knee, including about 15 people associated with the kneeling incident as per sources.

The FBI has refused to comment on these firings. The FBI agents’ association stated in a statement to CNN that it was all done under the leadership of Kash Patel and said all the dismissals violated the due process rights of those agents involved.

‘Patel’s dangerous new pattern of actions is weakening the Bureau because they eliminate valuable expertise and damage trust between leadership and the workforce, and make it so much harder to recruit and retain skilled agents – ultimately putting the country at a huge risk, the organization revealed.

This kneeling incident in Washington, DC, gained notoriety inside the FBI and drew criticism, particularly in conservative media and among some retired agents. It arose in the summer of 2020.