Sydney Siege Sparks #Illridewithyou Hashtag

Today, Australia woke to the news that two hostages are dead and two others injured in the wake of the Sydney siege.

But the country has banded together in support of members of the Muslim community, with Twitter users offering to accompany those who wear religious attire to work if they feel unsafe via the the hashtag #illridewithyou.

Last night, the hashtag was trending across the world, with many expressing their desire to maintain a united front in the wake of the tragedy.

Sydney woman Rachael Jacobs 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."

Sydney TV content editor Tessa Kum said she "broke" when she read Ms Jacob's story and decided to post the following message on Monday afternoon:

"If you [regularly] take the #373 bus b/w Coogee/MartinPl, wear religious attire & don't feel safe alone: I'll ride with you," she wrote, sparking the hashtag that has since dominated Twitter.