00:00LGBTQ rights advocates and local leaders are condemning the removal of a rainbow-painted crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were gunned down in 2016.
00:13The crosswalk was painted one year after the tragedy to honor the victims of one of the worst mass shootings in modern American history.
00:20It's now been erased under a statewide directive from Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Transportation, sparking outrage among some residents and officials.
00:30Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer wrote in a statement, the rainbow crosswalk not only honored the lives of the 49 people lost, but served as a safety measure, creating high visibility for pedestrians.
00:42In a social media post by Florida's Voice News, one lawmaker called the removal an illegal act.
00:48Hi, everyone. This is State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith. I am outside the Pulse nightclub interim memorial.
00:54And we've just discovered that the Florida Department of Transportation, in the middle of the night, ripped the rainbow colors off of this city crosswalk.
01:04They illegally vandalized city property.
01:09Governor DeSantis responded to Smith's criticism in a social media post of his own, declaring,
01:14we will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.
01:19Florida transportation officials say the move is to keep roads free of social, political or ideological messages.
01:26They say the department recently notified local governments of noncompliant roadways and has begun, quote, correcting markings not in compliance.
01:34Other crosswalks in the area that were once neon green with orange slices have also been removed.
01:41In Orlando, City Commissioner tells the Washington Post she had no prior notice of the project.
01:46The removal follows guidance from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who earlier this summer announced the state would not allow crosswalks or roads to display political messages.
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