#IllRideWithYou Campaign Started in Wake of Hostage Situation in Australia

A social media campaign has been gaining momentum, reflecting the hope of many to maintain solidarity in the community which has been shaken by terror after the dramatic hostage situation that occurred at a café in Sydney.

In an effort to thwart any intolerance toward Muslim Australians, residents have shared the hashtag “#illridewithyou” with the intention of spreading tolerance and supporting the safety of those in their community who fear that they will be the target of hostility.

Tessa Kum, a TV content editor and writer living in Sydney, is credited with starting the hashtag. She told the Guardian Australia that she was inspired after seeing a powerful Facebook post by commuter Rachel Jacobs. After noticing a woman remove her hijab, Jacobs encouraged her to put it back on and offered to accompany the woman.

Twitter users have joined in the gesture, offering up their support and assistance in coordinating with Muslims who may not feel safe commuting because they fear backlash.
 
In a further display of how the hashtag is uniting the community, #illridewithyou has officially surpassed the #SydneySiege in Sydney Twitter trends, and many have tweeted about how the how the swell of the social media trend has made them proud to be Australian”