Jordan Valinsky
Mic
In the aftermath of the hostage crisis in downtown Sydney, Australians are showing the world they’re not caving to racism or Islamophobia.
On Monday, an armed gunman stormed a cafe in Martin Place, entering a tense standoff with police. After the hostage-taker displayed an Islamic flag in the cafe’s window, many of Australia’s Muslims are understandably anxious about facing retribution.
But instead, Australians have banded together on Twitter with #IllRideWithYou, a hashtag showing their solidarity with fellow countrymen scared of being attacked on public transportation.
The hashtag started simply, with an act of compassion. Tessa Kum, a writer living in Sydney, told Guardian Australia she acted after seeing a tweet from TV reporter Michael James:
This, this is what good people do. #sydneyseige #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/zxbHLWzxEp
— Michael James (@MichaelJames_TV) December 15, 2014
