Titus O'Neil and Dave Bautista to Lead 'Love Walk' in Tampa

WWE stars Dave Bautista (Batista) and Titus O'Neil have been loudly supportive of the Black Lives [...]

By Connor Casey

WWE stars Dave Bautista (Batista) and Titus O'Neil have been loudly supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement and the recent protests against social injustice and police brutality. On Tuesday it was announced the two will team up for a special rally in Tampa, Florida on June 27. The "Love Walk," organized by O'Neil's Bullard Family Foundation, will see the pair lead a march comprised of "Tampa Bay business leaders, elected officials and families" across Tampa's Fortune Taylor Bridge.

"Join Thaddeus Bullard aka WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil, actor Dave Bautista, and celebrity friends as they lead Tampa Bay business leaders, elected officials, and families for a Love Walk across the Fortune Taylor Bridge," the event's Facebook description reads. "(Ms. Fortune was a former slave who once owned 33 acres on the eastern bank of the Hillsborough River. According to the Tampa Bay Times, in 1892, Hugh McFarlane, a lawyer and a founder of West Tampa, struck an agreement with Taylor to build a bridge connecting West Tampa to the east side of the river. The bridge not only was a key link to West Tampa's cigar factories, but has been seen as a symbolic connection between white and Hispanic residents in West Tampa and black residents to the east.
The bridge was renamed in 2018 to restore Madame Taylor Fortune's honor.)

"The walk will end at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park where they will unveil a LOVE WALL created by local artist Bianca Burrows," it continues.

O'Neil spoke at a press conference two weeks ago voicing his support for peaceful protests reacting to the murder of George Floyd. He did however speak out against violent rioting.

"We see people out there today that are doing it the right way, protesting. This happened in Minnesota, not in Tampa, Florida," O'Neil said. "I have invested, and many others have invested their life here to make this community what it is today from all walks of life. And as Mayor (Jane) Castor said earlier, we have bigger fish to fry than to sit here and try to figure out who's over here and who's over there and we're putting these folks in danger."

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