In a climate of fear and uncertainty, Australians have banded together to show their support for the Muslim population.
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The #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.
A young Sydney 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 hashtag.
Read more about the Twitter campaign that developed as a response to yesterday's tragic siege here.