Orlando officials on Thursday condemned the state’s overnight removal of a rainbow crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub – a commemoration of the 49 people killed at the LGBTQ-friendly nightclub in 2016.

Painting over one of the most important landmarks of the state’s LGBTQ community is part of a larger attack on LGBTQ people by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration, officials say.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he was “devastated” by the removal of the Pulse memorial crosswalk.

“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 or discussion, is a cruel political act,” Dyer said in a post on X.

The crosswalk was installed by the state in 2017 and adheres to national safety standard

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