Thousands in line, hundreds turned away for Rev. Clementa Pinckney's funeral in Charleston


Thousands of mourners have made their way to Charleston's TD Arena, where the funeral for Rev. Clementa Pinckney is to be held this morning (a live stream is available here). Rev. Pinckney was one of nine people killed in the horrific shooting at the historically black Emanuel AME Church last week. President Obama will offer a eulogy at the funeral.
Outside the arena, however, hundreds are being turned away even as officers attempt to keep mourners from line jumping; some of the attendees told the Post and Courier they'd arrived as early as 4 a.m. in an attempt to secure a spot inside.
"The gates of heaven won't be like this," a mourner told the paper. "They will be narrower, but there will be fewer."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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