With the nation’s capital preparing for the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, increased security and safety measures have already been put in place in response to the chatter and an FBI memo of another pro-Trump protest in response to Joe Biden being elected as the 46th president of the United States. 

However, D.C. is not the only capital prepping for possible protest. All 50 states are also on high alert as the chatter about further protest expands across all state capitals. North Carolina included. 

Per a press release from Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s Governor, the state mobilized about 550 North Carolina National Guardsmen to assist in the protest safety efforts. 350 of them will remain at the North Carolina capital and 200 will be sent to D.C. 

“Ongoing security concerns in Washington, D.C. and state capitals around the nation following last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol must be taken seriously, and I will deploy necessary resources to keep North Carolinians safe. 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,” said Governor Cooper in the press release. 

In addition, according to reports from WBTV, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has troopers on standby if needed. 

“It is not prudent to comment on specific security initiatives. However, be assured the Department of Public Safety remains extremely vigilant in its public safety efforts,” said Erik A. Hooks, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Public Safety in a statement to the press. “Our law enforcement entities are engaged with our local, state and federal partners to identify and address a myriad of public safety threats.

“The necessary work of the state and federal governments continues and I am grateful to our outstanding law enforcement professionals for their service. We continue to seek and share information concerning any potential threats to our critical infrastructure, residents and visitors.”

Several buildings surrounding the State Capitol and within Wake County are preparing to close early. This includes all downtown government buildings, per a tweet from the City of Raleigh. 

“We’re taking this proactive step, because we’ve heard the widespread calls for protests next week amidst the presidential inauguration,” said Wake County Manager David Ellis in a press release. “The safety of our residents and our employees is our top priority and based on the proximity of these buildings to the State Capital, we feel this is the appropriate action to take.”

The N.C. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources also tweeted on Jan. 16 they would close early in preparation for protests. 

“In an abundance of caution, to protect public health & safety during the pandemic, DNCR’s downtown Raleigh facilities will be closed through Jan. 20 due to the anticipated high volume of people in the area. 

“This includes the State Library of N.C., the State Archives of N.C., the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, and N.C. Museum of History,” per the two tweets. 

According to reports, so far Raleigh has remained quiet and has not had any protest-related issues as of yet, but the capital city is ready none the less.