#IllRideWithYou

This morning I'm watching live streaming coverage of the hostage crisis currently taking place in a cafe in Sydney, Australia.  The hostage taker allegedly has Islamic ties, and has placed a flag with Islamic symbols in the windows of the cafe.

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

The reason I'm mentioning this situation is because of the way that social media has been used to assist Sydney commuters feel safe as they try to make their way home.  One Twitter user, known as @sirtessa, posted the tweet shown above, offering to ride with Sydney commuters so they could feel safe on their way home.  This tweet took off on social media, and the hashtag #IllRideWithYou has emerged as a worldwide effort to offer support to Australian Muslims.

#IllRideWithYou: Australians show solidarity with Muslims amid the Sydney siege http://t.co/5hFgbIp2C3 pic.twitter.com/czDCx7OdM4
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) December 15, 2014

The situation is ongoing, but it's simply amazing how the power of social media can be used to further shine a positive light on a terrible situation.