Florida Department of Transportation

All five commissioners, in a joint statement, said they could not support the changes, "especially after hearing from the public and receiving public comment throughout the week."

City officials said FDOT allowed only 12 hours notice before painting over the crosswalk.

The Department of Transportation under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered communities to remove the crosswalks and other street art by early next month.

Last week, Fort Myers Mural Society executive director Shari Shifrin learned Sarasota is removing more than 200 sidewalk panels in the historic Burns Court arts and culture district.

Mayor Ken Welch gave a call to action for residents to visit the mural sites, take photos and share them with others. He said to use hashtags like: "#WeAreStPete," "#OurStreetsOurVoices" and "#CantErase."

The city had asked for five of its street murals to be exempt from a statewide ban on street art, saying they create a sense of place.

Protesters raised signs and waved large Pride flags as drivers on South Orange Avenue in Orlando honked their horns. People used chalk to color the crosswalk in bright hues.

The project is one stage in a long-term goal to connect downtown St. Petersburg to the new express lanes on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis responded on X, saying he wouldn't allow "state roads to be commandeered for political purposes."

Officials say that the crosswalk, a tribute to the 49 victims who died during the 2016 mass shooting, was painted over overnight.

Miami Beach Commissioner Laura Dominguez is torching state officials for demanding the city remove the LGBTQ Pride crosswalk on Ocean Drive, saying she will put forth a resolution at the next commission meeting to designate the sidewalks in "rainbow colors."

As Central Florida's commuter rail turns 11, it's begun to study a major expansion costing billions of dollars.