‘Our Pride is getting erased’: Ocean Drive rainbow crosswalk removed by FDOT amid protests, anger from residents – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – Crews gutted the rainbow crosswalk in the heart of Miami Beach’s entertainment district, drawing protesters and criticism from residents and city officials who said this fight is not over yet.
7News cameras showed a crew from the Florida Department of Transportation as they used bulldozers to remove the Pride-themed crosswalk on Ocean Drive and 12th Street, Sunday evening.
“It’s a slightly colored sidewalk! Come on, grow up, whoever is doing this,” said a passerby.
“It is wrong. It is a misuse of public tax dollars what they’re doing, and I hope that future government rights this wrong,” said former City Commissioner Michael Gongora.
While the workers removed the rainbow pavers from the street, there was anger and frustration.
Two drag performers who voiced their disapproval of the crosswalk’s removal spoke with 7News.
“Our Pride is getting erased just like that. It’s very painful,” said one the performers.
“This represents blood, sweat and tears. I literally worked so hard on this sidewalk for mahy years and struggled to come out here and perform and share art, share my craft, so it tears my heart to see it go away, but we’re going to fight, we’re not going anywhere,” said another performer.
The crosswalk’s removal comes after FDOT ordered local governments — including Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Key West — to remove any pavement associated with social, political or ideological messages, or risk losing state funding.
In August, the rainbow crosswalk located near the site of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in Orlando was erased.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said FDOT crews have removed street art from all sides of the political spectrum.
They had to remove a ‘Back the Blue’ [display], they had to remove some of these other things, so it spans different things,” he said, “but we’ve made the policy decision to in Florida, you know. We’re not going to use the roads fpr that purpose; the roads are there for either pedestrians to cross or cars to go, and that’s what it’s going to be.”
Miami Beach city officials have long fought for the city’s colorful crosswalk to remain.
Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez said that despite this removal, Pride isn’t going anywhere.
“This is one of the safest crosswalks in all of Ocean Drive. It feels wasteful, but we won’t let the state of Florida keep Miami Beach from being visible as an inclusive city,” he said.
Officials with FDOT didn’t immediately respond to 7News’ request for comment.
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