Before and after photos depict a rainbow-colored crosswalk in Orlando, Florida, that served as a memorial to the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub mass shooting. The crosswalk, which was painted over this week, featured the colors of the Pride flag.
The mayor of Orlando, Florida, announced that the crosswalk mural was removed overnight this week. Community members protested the removal and have since repainted it. The removal of the mural, which was part of a memorial to the 49 people killed in the mass shooting, sparked outrage from city officials and the community.
The state of Florida painted over the rainbow crosswalk, which resembled the L.G.B.T.Q. Pride flag. This action appeared to be in response to a federal directive issued last month. The directive was seen as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to limit what it perceived as political demonstrations on public land. The city officials and residents were surprised to find the mural gone on Thursday morning.
A video showed a road crew painting over the crosswalk late Wednesday night. Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando criticized the removal, calling it a "cruel political act." The Florida Department of Transportation appeared to have removed the memorial following a letter from the Trump administration. The letter, signed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, cited traffic fatalities as a reason to keep crosswalks "free from distractions." Duffy suggested in a social media post that the letter was targeting L.G.B.T.Q. murals.
The federal Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to questions about the mural's removal. The Trump administration has removed or sidelined L.G.B.T.Q. flags and art in recent months. The city of Orlando painted the memorial in 2017 after a petition. The mayor stated that the mural enhanced safety and visibility and served as a visual reminder of the city's commitment to honor the victims.
The Pulse nightclub massacre in 2016, which also left 53 wounded, was the deadliest mass shooting in the country at the time. The nightclub is permanently closed, and the building is set to be demolished later this year. A Democratic state senator posted a video from the site of the painted-over crosswalk. In response, Governor Ron DeSantis stated he would not allow the state's roads "to be commandeered for political purposes."
Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the Pulse shooting, accused the DeSantis administration of trying to erase the state-approved crosswalk. Wolf shared a photograph of himself and DeSantis during the governor's visit to Pulse in 2019. The governor's office did not immediately respond to questions. DeSantis has previously been criticized for his statements about commemorations of the Pulse shooting and the state’s L.G.B.T.Q. community. In protest, people were seen on Thursday using chalk to repaint the crosswalk.
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