Gov. Cooper calls up NC National Guard to help with security in Raleigh and Washington

Gov. Roy Cooper has called up 550 troops from the N.C. National Guard to help with possible protests in Raleigh and the upcoming Inauguration in Washington, D.C.

Cooper mobilized 350 Guardsmen for duty in Raleigh, helping state and local police “protect the well-being of residents, property, and the right to peacefully assemble and protest,” spokesman Ford Porter said in a Wednesday news release.

The FBI sent a memo to all 50 states warning of protests between Saturday, Jan. 16 and Wednesday, Jan. 20. No specific plans to demonstrate have been announced, but a flier calling for armed marches in state capitals has circulated worldwide.

Cooper is sending another 200 Guardsmen to the nation’s capital to assist before and during President Joe Biden’s Inauguration. The deployment will last seven to eight days and is based on threats of significant large-scale protests, Porter said.

“Ongoing security concerns in Washington, D.C., and state capitals around the nation following last week’s attack on the US Capitol must be taken seriously, and I will deploy necessary resources to keep North Carolinians safe,” Cooper said. “I have spoken with state and federal authorities and thank the men and women of the North Carolina National Guard for their continued service to our state and nation.”

Extra safety measures in Raleigh

In Raleigh, state lawmakers requested a meeting with Capitol Police Chief Martin Brock about what his force was doing to prepare for the legislative session that started Wednesday. That meeting happened Tuesday afternoon.

Rep. Ashton Clemmons, a Greensboro Democrat, said they weren’t briefed about what could take place when they return in two weeks but Brock told lawmakers there were heightened concerns through the inauguration.

“I felt like they had worked to know what to expect (on Jan. 13) as much as possible and to prepare for the unexpected as much as possible, and I felt confident that there were contingency plans for additional support if needed,” Clemmons said.

Campbell University Law School, which is about a block from the state Capitol in downtown Raleigh, is closing its building next Wednesday and moving all classes online. Dean Rich Leonard sent an email to students and employees Thursday so they can prepare.

Leonard said he made the decision in light of the reports of credible threats of armed protests in state capitals on Inauguration Day and Cooper’s activation of the N.C. National Guard. Students also shared concerns about their safety and asked not to come downtown that day.

The law school is also near the North Carolina Democratic Party Headquarters. The fact that pipe bombs were found outside the national Democratic and Republican party headquarters, blocks from the U.S. Capitol, last week was also particularly concerning.

“The parallel that the North Carolina Democratic Headquarters is across the street is not lost on us,” Leonard said. Though he hopes things will remain peaceful.

This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 4:22 PM.