Overview

• Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer called the overnight repainting a cruel political action carried out without data or public consultation.
• Gov. Ron DeSantis defended the decision, saying Florida will not allow its roads to be used for political purposes.
• Survivors, including Brandon Wolf, said the removal erased a symbol of solidarity and desecrated the memory of the dead.
• Critics dispute the safety rationale by citing a Bloomberg Philanthropies study that found artistic crosswalks can prompt drivers to slow and yield more.
• City officials say the rainbow design was installed in coordination with the state, met national standards, and improved pedestrian safety near the site honoring the 49 people killed in the 2016 Pulse attack.