Three individuals were arrested yesterday during a protest by the Florida Highway Patrol near the former Pulse nightclub's location, where a rainbow crosswalk once stood as a tribute to the victims of the 2016 mass shooting. Identified as Zane Aparicio, 39, Mary Jane East, 25, and Donavon Short, 26, the protesters now face charges of interfering with a traffic control device. The arrests, detailed by ClickOrlando, come during a series of demonstrations sparked by the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT) removal of the colorful crosswalk.
The "Chalk For Pride" event, as reported, took place near the intersection of South Orange Avenue and West Esther Street, escalating in tension as troopers handcuffed the trio who partook in the protests, decrying the perceived encroachment on their freedom of expression. According to WESH, these protests have been a daily occurrence since the FDOT's action against the Pride crosswalks, with demonstrators marching to Orlando City Hall in rainbow chalk solidarity after the recent detentions.
Previously, last Friday night, one Orestes Sebastian Suarez, aged 29, was reproached by the law for his prophetic act of chalking his shoes before marching across the road, leaving behind a transient rainbow footprint, an act for which he was charged with defacing a traffic control device. However, his overnight detainment crumbled under the weight of justice when the judge found no probable cause for the arrest, as ClickOrlando mentions a successful challenge to probable cause by Suarez's attorney, Blake Simons.
