Members of the Washington, D.C., National Guard have been placed on standby in case they are needed to protect monuments in the nation's capital.
Approximately 400 National Guardsmen are on standby at the D.C. Armory to provide backup to National Park Police in the city, a Defense Department spokesperson said Wednesday, according to Politico.
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt requested that Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy activate the troops in “a civil disturbance and security role around the District."
"The District of Columbia National Guard is responding to a request to support law enforcement officials and has dispatched unarmed personnel, with others on stand-by," National Guard spokesman Maj. Robert Perino said in a statement to CNN. "Activated Guardsmen are expected to provide security for local monuments and critical infrastructure."
