A small mercy and offer of solidarity created a respite from the latest wave of anti-Muslim bigotry amid the developing Sydney siege.
Tessa Kum (@sirtessa) created the hashtag #illridewithyou in solidarity with any visible Australian Muslim riding the 373 bus in Sydney.
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
Thousands of tweets later and the sense of solidarity and positive sentiment went far beyond its Sydney origins.
Practical thing: I've made a temporary sticker for my bag so people who need me can spot me #illridewithyou pic.twitter.com/aVldEn9wVU
— Kristen Boschma (@Kristen_Boschma) December 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/dominicwholohan/status/544442121277550593
Hadn't seen the #illridewithyou but leaving the city today on a crowded bus and no one would sit next to a woman in a head scarf. So I did.
— Warlach (@Warlach) December 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/RosieWaterland/status/544432909805817856
Others used the hashtag to express a heartfelt sense of pride and extending sense of solidarity.
We all felt fear today. Let's not allow our Muslim brothers and sisters to have another reason to be afraid tomorrow #illridewithyou
— Jessica Tovey (@jessieliz) December 15, 2014
#illridewithyou this is terrific, gives me much hope. Bravo.
— Jane Caro (@JaneCaro) December 15, 2014
No hashtag will erase anti-Muslim sentiment or the racism that permeates cultures but in a small way reminds us of a common good.
Solidarity is simple to express online but extending it into the real world is worth celebrating. The hashtag generated over 40,000 tweets and will continue to grow.
One tweet in particular captured the fusion of online and offline solidarity:
To the ladies who I shared a cab with this afternoon – Mica and Dixie, thank you from the bottom of my heart. x#illridewithyou
— Mariam Veiszadeh (@MariamVeiszadeh) December 15, 2014
Well done, everyone.
