CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – On Tuesday, 445 SC National Guard soldiers were mobilized to aid in the response to unruly demonstrations in the nation’s capital.

The soldiers left Joint Base Charleston to make their way to Washington, D.C., after protests over racial inequality and police brutality turned violent. Many states saw initially peaceful demonstrations spiral out of control, but those in DC were considered particularly concerning as they took place just steps from the White House.

To put this in perspective, the SC National Guard reports that 45 members were sent to the Lowcountry to assist law enforcement with maintianing law and order on the local level.

Major General Van McCarty said that “the SC National Guard will respond when there is a need to protect our nation’s citizens and support the rights and freedoms of the American people.”

On Wednesday, the National Guard Bureau released a statement reading in part “everyone who wears the uniform of our country takes an oath to uphold the Constitution and everything for which it stands. If we are to fulfill our obligation as service members, as Americans, and as decent human beings, we have to take our oath seriously. We cannot tolerate racism, discrimination, or casual violence.”