The removal of the rainbow-painted crosswalk outside the former Pulse nightclub sparked protests in Orlando on Wednesday night, as residents accused state officials of erasing a memorial to the 49 victims of the 2016 mass shooting.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando officials on Thursday denounced the overnight removal of a rainbow-colored crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub where 49 people were gunned down, saying it was part of an attack on LGBTQ lives by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration.