The Latest: Columbia church open during senator’s viewing

9:35 a.m.

An Episcopal Cathedral across from the South Carolina Statehouse is opening its doors for prayer and reflection during the time state Sen. Clementa Pinckney’s casket is on view to the public.

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral also plans to hold a noon prayer service and ring its bells each hour until 5 p.m.

The church announced it would hold the special service with the assistance of the Rev. Calvin Griffin from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, which is the Cathedral’s predominantly African-American neighbor parish.

According to South Carolina historian Walter Edgar, the ties between Trinity and the state government go back to August of 1812.

The eleven founding members of the congregation met in the Senate Chamber of the Old State House to form the nucleus of the Episcopal faithful, which would later become Trinity Church of Columbia.

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11 p.m.

About 200 people, including members of the New Black Panther party, staged a march and rally in front of the Charleston, South Carolina, church where nine people attending a Bible study were shot to death last week.

The march began at Marion Square and reached Emanuel AME Church about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. Protesters chanted "Black power!" and other slogans as police kept watch nearby.

Among the marchers was Hashim Nzinga, national chairman of the New Black Panther party.

Most of the mourners who were placing flowers at the church and others on the sidewalk appeared to ignore the marchers, who spent about 20 minutes at the church before moving down the street.

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