Australians have demonstrated their unity in support for their tolerant and multicultural society despite the ongoing siege situation in a Sydney cafe with the #illridewithyou Twitter hashtag.
The hashtag began as a simple gesture by one social media user to ride public transport in Sydney with anyone feeling threatened because of their religious attire, and quickly spread online as an inspirational message of one society against the ideas of a lone gunman.
This, this is what good people do. #sydneyseige #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/zxbHLWzxEp
— Michael James (@MichaelJames_TV) December 15, 2014
If you reg take the #373 bus b/w Coogee/MartinPl, wear religious attire, & don’t feel safe alone: I’ll ride with you. @ me for schedule.
— Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014
Maybe start a hashtag? What’s in #illridewithyou?
— Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014
Within minutes, the hashtag exploded with hundreds of Sydney residents offering to sit with their Muslim friends, neighbours, and strangers.
#IllRideWithYou: Sydney Stands Up To Racism And Bigotry With One Beautiful Hashtag http://t.co/oDMu7NcKIG pic.twitter.com/Exn8kz7Sml
— Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) December 15, 2014
#illridewithyou radiates the beauty of Australian mateship. We are many, but together we are one. #sydneysiege pic.twitter.com/cmJonDi7Lc
— Lisa Donaldson APD (@Lise_Simpson) December 15, 2014
#illridewithyou reminds me: Muslim Woman Covers the Yellow Star of Her Jewish Neighbor with Her Veil. (Sarajev, 1941) pic.twitter.com/LTKBsMxk5N
— Ken Sekiya (@ki_sekiya) December 15, 2014
#illridewithyou is in the same league as this: pic.twitter.com/VwrEkDmpt7
— Insouciantly Aussie (@geeksrulz) December 15, 2014
"People are of two kinds, either your brothers in faith or equals in humanity" – Ali ibn Abu Talib #illridewithyou pic.twitter.com/oVzhkJ7pmi
— The Muslim Vibe (@themuslimvibe) December 15, 2014
Stop racism now. Sydney is a beautiful multicultural city #illridewithyou Please share this for me and help Sydney. pic.twitter.com/Q1GOTu4wvg
— Prince Mak (@JJCC_PrinceMak) December 15, 2014
