Australians Offer To Travel With People In Religious Attire By Tweeting #IllRideWithYou

    The terrible events in Sydney, where Martin Place was locked down after an armed man took hostages, have sparked a heartwarming reaction on social media.

    The #IllRideWithYou hashtag was begun by Tessa Kum, a TV content editor and writer who lives 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.

    Maybe start a hashtag? What’s in #illridewithyou?

    She told BuzzFeed News her "heart broke" after she saw this story:

    She said:

    It is hard to feel hope when you feel helpless. #illridewithyou is a small act, but might be important for someone one day. 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.

    For those of us watching; we live in this world. We aren't bystanders. We aren't helpless.

    In a short time the hashtag was trending.

    Over 6,500 #illridewithyou tweets already - currently 198 Tweets per minute - god love you Sydney

    Any Muslim person getting the Geelong line in the morning, #illridewithyou if you'd like me too. 6:47AM from southern cross.

    We are all Australians & we will not turn away from our Muslim brother, sisters, fathers, mothers, loved ones & friend #illridewithyou all.

    read the #illridewithyou hashtag, Australians offering to ride with Muslims who feel unsafe during this horrible situation

    I’m a semi regular commuter on the #mandurah line. If you see me #illridewithyou. I’ll be wearing this scarf.

    Blackburn to Southern Cross 9:04am (or the 9:10 if I'm running late) #illridewithyou

    @sirtessa my bad attempt at a pic to help get the message out #illridewithyou

    There were also powerful stories being shared.

    This is so inspiring. I'm not Australian but I do know that this is a country to be proud of. #illridewithyou

    Soon there were further offers from Australians offering to walk with people in religious clothes.

    I don't take public transport to work. But #illwalkwithyou any day. Kensington to Surry Hills. #illridewithyou

    The offers spread beyond Sydney.

    I don't use public transport, but if you need anyone, #illridewithyou anywhere in Canberra. Can offer lift around Tuggers too. #Canberra

    This isn't just Sydney, is it? Anyone in #Adelaide #illridewithyou from Paradise to the city and back.

    The hashtag is now becoming one of the few positive things to come out of the horrific events in Sydney.

    Love the #illridewithyou tweets, sad that they need to be posted. Every1 has the right 2 feel safe. Don't condemn all because of one bad egg

    I haven't felt proud of Aus Government for some time - but I sure as hell feel proud of Australians #illridewithyou #TeamHumanity

    #illridewithyou is so beautiful. Nice to see some light and kindness in between all this horror. I'm so proud to be Australian 🐨