The hashtag #illridewithyou went viral on Monday evening as Australians stood up to anti-Muslim sentiment.
The hashtag was started by Sydney woman Rachael Jacobs who wrote on her Facebook account about an encounter with a Muslim woman on the train.
“…and the (presumably) Muslim woman sitting next to me on the train silently removes her hijab,” Ms Jacobs wrote in her post.
“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.”
Jacobs then posted a second status in which she used the #illridewithyou hashtag.
Another Sydney woman, TV content editor Tessa Kum told ABC radio that Jacobs act of kindness broke her heart.
“It was very much a sort of breaking point for me. I sort of saw another tweet online indicating another woman’s act of kindness and I simply felt that there needed to be more of that in the world.”
Kum then tweeted to her followers,
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
The tweet took off with more than 290, 000 tweets sent out on Monday night in support of the idea behind the hashtag – making public transport safe for those feeling threatened, standing up against prejudice and hate.
The response exemplifies Australians generosity of spirit, kindness and inclusiveness in pulling together to ensure that everybody feels safe in this time of fear and uncertainty.
Politicians and prominent Australians have joined in the hashtag, and it has received coverage in publications all around the world.
