ORLANDO, Fla. — A rainbow crosswalk that was located outside the site of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando was suddenly removed overnight, and local lawmakers said state officials are to blame.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on Thursday called the removal of the Pulse Memorial crosswalk a "cruel political act."
"This callous action of hastily removing part of a memorial to what was at the time our nation’s largest mass shooting, without any supporting safety data or discussion, is a cruel political act," Dyer wrote on Facebook.
The mayor said their safety crosswalks were all installed in close coordination with the state and adhered to national safety standards.
"In fact, the crosswalk that is part of the Pulse Memorial was installed by the state," Dyer said. "This crosswalk not only enhanced safety and visibility for the large number of pedestrians visiting the memorial."
The shooting in 2016 claimed the lives of 49 people and wounded 53 others. The crosswalk was implemented in 2017.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, was among the lawmakers criticizing the move.
Read her full statement below:
"In the middle of the night, FDOT painted over our rainbow crosswalk at the Pulse Memorial. A place where 49 mostly LGBTQ+ people were murdered. A tragedy that we have worked so hard to find power in pain. A rainbow crosswalk that sparked joy and showed our love for all people.
It was never a political statement, and caring about people of all backgrounds is not meant to be a political statement. And, more visible crosswalks help to increase visibility and safety too.
But what is political, what is authoritative, and what is disrespectful to the 49 lives murdered and our entire community, is sneaking into the city in the middle of the night to literally erase a rainbow crosswalk that was originally established with FDOT approval!
The reality is, Governor DeSantis has no real plan to solve actual problems our community faces, like housing affordability or property insurance — so all he can do is divide us and attack vulnerable communities.
It’s distraction, deflection, and destruction.
It's also straight-up fascism. And we’re not going to let the Governor weaponize state agencies and erase communities without a fight."
In a post on X, state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, called it a "disgusting act of betrayal."
FDOT illegally vandalized + ripped the rainbow colors off of Orlando’s city crosswalk in the middle of the night outside Pulse nightclub.
— Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (@CarlosGSmith) August 21, 2025
This crosswalk was painted to honor the lives of 49 angels murdered here, AND to keep pedestrians here safe.
A disgusting act of betrayal. pic.twitter.com/q3wYSa8e9o
The state has not released a comment on the removal of the rainbow crosswalk.
Over the last few weeks, cities across the state have been removing similar Pride crosswalks. This comes after a mandate to "keep our transportation facilities free & clear of political ideologies," according to a social media post by Florida Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue.
The city of Boynton Beach complied by removing its Pride crosswalk last month.
However, Delray Beach commissioners voted this week not to remove its rainbow crosswalk, scheduling a meeting Sept. 2 to determine whether the state can force the city to remove the painting at Northeast First Street and Northeast Second Avenue.
