Florida transportation crews overnight painted over the rainbow-colored crosswalk outside Orlando’s former Pulse nightclub, removing a memorial installed in 2017 to honor the 49 people killed in the 2016 mass shooting. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer called the action “a cruel political act,” saying the city received no advance notice from the Florida Department of Transportation. The state agency acted under a June directive that bans “surface art” bearing social, political or ideological messages on any roadway it controls. Governor Ron DeSantis defended the move on social media, writing, “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.” State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is openly gay, accused the administration of “illegally vandalizing” city property. FDOT has sent similar removal orders to cities across Florida. Key West and Delray Beach must eliminate Pride crosswalks by 3 September, while Fort Lauderdale on Thursday was told to erase a rainbow-painted street and three other decorative intersections or face state removal and potential loss of transportation funding. Miami Beach officials say they will appeal an order to strip Ocean Drive’s Pride markings, arguing the design is integral to the city’s identity. The crackdown follows a 1 July letter from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urging all states to keep political symbols off public roads. In Florida, local officials and LGBTQ advocacy groups contend the policy targets queer visibility. Some municipalities are weighing legal action, and residents gathered at the Pulse site Thursday to chalk temporary rainbows onto the newly black-and-white crossing.