The governor is mobilizing 550 North Carolina National Guard troops to help with security after threats of mass demonstrations around the inauguration of Joe Biden.

Two-hundred of the troops will go to Washington D.C. to help with security there and the rest will remain in North Carolina in case of unrest here.

“Ongoing security concerns in Washington, DC 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," Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement Wednesday.  

There are theats circulating online about mass protests at state capitols, including Raleigh, around the inauguration of Joe Biden.

Thousands of National Guard troops have been pouring into the nation's capital this week after a mob of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol, killing a police officer. Four others died in the attack.

The governor's office said North Carolina National Guard members will be working at checkpoints, providing security and protecting critical infrastructure. They will not be doing front-line law enforcement work, the statement said.

"This decision is based on threats of significant large-scale protests in D.C.," the governor's office said.

Cooper did not give many details on what the 350 National Guard members will be doing in North Carolina. The statement said they will "support state and local authorities and protect the well-being of residents, property, and the right to peacefully assemble and protest."

Police in Raleigh have been preparing for possible protests in the state capital. There are already barricades up around the Old Capitol Building in downtown Raleigh.