On a sweltering Saturday morning, dozens of people lined Fort Lauderdale Beach with signs and flags declaring “We will not be erased,” as Florida moves to force cities to cover up rainbow-painted crosswalks, long seen as symbols of LGBTQ+ pride and inclusion.

“The abuse of the government right now is too excessive,” Alfredo Olvera, president of the Dolphin Democrats, said. “If we don’t do this now, when today it’s a crosswalk, what’s it going to be tomorrow?”

The Florida Department of Transportation said the brightly-colored designs distract drivers and pose safety risks. Residents and advocates called the order a personal attack on the LGBTQ community.

Protestors push back on state’s reason for removal

“Absolutely it’s a safety issue,” Hillary Dougherty, a member of the Dolphin Democrats, said.

Dougherty grew up in Wilton Manors, a city known for embracing LGBTQ+ residents.

“The number one targeted folks in the world are trans women, Black trans women especially, and if we don’t stand up to protect them, who’s going to? When their rights are protected, our rights are protected,” she said.

Dougherty vowed pushback.

“There is absolutely no way we’re going to go without a fight and force people to go back into the closet. Not on our watch,” she said.

Cities warned of penalties if they don’t comply

State officials have warned cities that if they fail to remove the street art, they could lose millions in funding as soon as next week. In response, the Fort Lauderdale commission voted to appeal the order, joining Key West and Delray Beach in doing so.

“It’s another way of wasting taxpayers’ money,” state Rep. Daryl Campbell said. “We can be doing so much more for our community that they’re asking for, especially with a lot of these budget cuts and frozen grants.”

Supporters fear the crosswalk fight is a precursor to broader rollbacks.

“If they do this and we allow it without a fight, what’s next?” Dougherty said.

At a news conference earlier this week, Gov. Ron DeSantis defended the state’s action, saying the street art has gotten out of hand and that crosswalks and roads should be used for their intended purposes.

More from CBS News