Hats off to Australians for showing the world how to react in the face of terror. This reminds me of the days after 9/11 when Americans overwhelming showed similar support for their Muslim friends, neighbors, colleagues. It amazed me even then that in the face of such overwhelming tragedy, every day Americans had the kindness and the generosity in their hearts to offer support, reassurance, and solidarity for the Muslims.
Martin Place siege: #illridewithyou](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=illridewithyou) hashtag goes viral
Date December 16, 2014
Brittany Ruppert
Siege twitter campaign sparks kind gesture
Sydney Muslim woman Mariam Veiszadeh struggled getting out of the city during the siege in Martin Place until two strangers inspired by the social media campaign #illridewithyou](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=illridewithyou) restored her faith in humanity.
In a climate of fear and uncertainty, Australians have banded together to show their support for the Muslim population.
The #illridewithyou](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=illridewithyou) hashtag amassed almost 120,000 tweets on Monday evening, as Australians took a stand against anti-Muslim sentiment in the wake of the Martin Place siege.
Workers gather at Martin Place during the siege at the nearby Lindt cafe. Photo: AFP
A young Brisbane woman, Rachael Jacobs, appears to have inspired the campaign after posting a moving Facebook status about her encounter with a Muslim woman earlier in the day.
“…and the (presumably) Muslim woman sitting next to me on the train silently removes her hijab,” Ms Jacobs wrote.
“I ran after her at the train station. I said ‘put it back on. I’ll walk with u’. She started to cry and hugged me for about a minute - then walked off alone.”
The message posted on Rachael Jacobs’ Facebook page.
The inspiring status quickly circulated on social media before inspiring the #illridewithyou](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=illridewithyou) hashtag.
Sydney TV content editor Tessa Kum said she “broke” when she read Ms Jacob’s story and decided to post the following message on Monday afternoon:
“If you [regularly] take the #373](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=373) bus b/w Coogee/MartinPl, wear religious attire & don’t feel safe alone: I’ll ride with you,” she wrote.
She then posted a second status, featuring the #illridewithyou](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=illridewithyou) hashtag. Within hours it had gone viral on social media, as Twitter users from around the country offered to ride public transport with Muslims who feel intimidated by anti-Islamic sentiment.
“It is hard to feel hope when you feel helpless. #illridewithyou](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=illridewithyou) is a small act, but might be important for someone one day,” Ms Kum told Fairfax Media.
“My thoughts are with those involved, who will be affected for so long to come, and those uninvolved, who are being blamed none the less.”
Ms Jacobs wrote on her personal Facebook page that she was “completely overwhelmed” by the response.
“Mine was a very brief encounter - a small gesture to a stranger in response to the sadness that I felt that someone would ever feel unsafe or unwelcome because of their beliefs,” she wrote.
“I’m not the story and I’m not a hero. Those who started the#illridewithyou](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/illridewithyou?source=feed_text&story_id=10152956744505972) movement are incredibly inspiring and anyone who joins it is creating a path to peace for all of us.”
The campaign was widely praised on social media. “Today goes to show, Australians will always come together and support one another,” one Twitter user wrote.
Several politicians, media personalities and sports stars also showed their support for the campaign.
The campaign seems to echo Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s statement during his Monday press conference.
“Australia is a peaceful, open and generous society. Nothing should ever change that,” he said.
The chart below maps the growth of the #illridewithyou](http://www.paklinks.com/gs/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=illridewithyou) hashtag in real time.