"Crews began demolishing Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday to make way for a memorial that will pay tribute to the 49 people killed in the attack at the LGBTQ-friendly club nearly a decade ago. Construction workers began tearing down walls in the long-shuttered venue that were still scarred by bullet holes from the June 12, 2016, attack, when a gunman opened fire during a Latin night celebration."
"The city of Orlando purchased the Pulse property in 2023 for $2 million and plans to build a $12 million permanent memorial that will open in 2027. Those efforts followed a botched multiyear attempt by a foundation run by the club's former owner to buy the property."
"The plan for the memorial comes at a fraught time for monuments to LGBTQ+ history since President Donald Trump's second term began. The federal government removed a pride flag outside of Stonewall National Monument last year, following a National Park Service memo that prohibits the agency from flying any flags besides the U.S. flag and the flag of the Department of the Interior."
Demolition of Pulse nightclub in Orlando began Wednesday, with the city planning to build a $12 million permanent memorial to honor the 49 people killed in the June 12, 2016 mass shooting. The city purchased the property in 2023 for $2 million after a previous foundation-led acquisition attempt failed. The memorial is scheduled to open in 2027. This project occurs amid heightened tensions surrounding LGBTQ+ monuments, as federal and state governments have recently removed pride symbols and restricted rainbow imagery. Similar conflicts emerged in Orlando when officials painted over a rainbow crosswalk mural near the Pulse site, citing restrictions on surface art with social or political messages.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]