Arlington County, Virginia, recalled its officers from D.C. on Monday night after they helped to forcibly remove protesters from the streets to allow President Donald Trump walk to a church for a photo opportunity.

The County Board issued a statement Monday night saying its officers were used "for a purpose not worthy of our mutual aid obligations."

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, for her part, said Tuesday that the District of Columbia never put out a call for mutual aid.

"I might suggest their officers shouldn't have been there in the first place," Bowser added.

Trump walked to St John's Episcopal Church, which is located just outside the White House and had been damaged by fire in the protests, and took pictures while holding a Bible before returning inside.

The U.S. has been rocked by eight days of mass protests sparked by the death of an unarmed black man under police custody.

George Floyd died after a police office knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes while arresting him.

The death has been condemned by various leaders globally, with calls for justice for Floyd’s family.