Unfortunately one of the seemingly inevitable results of the ongoing situation at Martin Place that has dominated the news cycle all today is the racially-motived, Islamophobic backlash that’s flooded certain pockets of social media – not helped in the slightest by deliberately inflammatory media outlets acting like irresponsible dicks.

Fortunately in times of great angst, the goodness of people tends to shine through a lot brighter than the howls of feral wolves blindly baying for blood.

Twitter – being the great rolling snowball of sentiment that it is – became awash late this afternoon and into the evening with the hashtag #IllRideWithYou, in which people from Sydney, and around the country, publicly reached out to members of the Muslim community and offered to accompany them home tonight or to work tomorrow if they felt suddenly intimidated in making that journey.

It’s a sweet, simple, touching gesture that proves beyond all doubt that people’s sense of community remains as bonded as ever, despite all of this.

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

Maybe start a hashtag? What’s in #illridewithyou? — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014

Following @sirtessa‘s example, #426/425 bus 2 Burwood, If u wear religious attire, & don’t feel safe alone: I’ll ride with you. @ 6:30 ish. — Hannah Groff (@PalindromicGirl) December 15, 2014

#illridewithyou T3 line. I implore you all to get behind this. Stand united, the Australia we know and love. — Merry Wissmas (@pjwissam) December 15, 2014

I will be catching from Redfern to the city tomorrow morning at 8.45ish. I will do that most days this summer and #illridewithyou. Always. — Georgia Kriz (@georgiakriz) December 15, 2014

Also can do any of the 423 426 428 422 370 355 buses during the week work hours or weekends if you feel you need company #illridewithyou @me — ZuckerBaby (@ZuckerBaby) December 15, 2014

If you wear religious attire, & need to get from #Adelaide‘s west suburbs to the city on Tues but don’t want to travel alone #illridewithyou — Sharna Bremner (@sharnatweets) December 15, 2014

The #11 tram or South Morang line, #illridewithyou — Ben Williams (@BenitoWill) December 15, 2014

Anybody concerned for their safety going to work in Brisbane tomorrow morning from the Northside, #illridewithyou — Ben Clark (@scouse_roar) December 15, 2014

James from Ashfield reporting in for #illridewithyou tomorrow morning en route to the city at 8:30am every morning this week. — James Kozanecki (@Aussie_Kozy) December 15, 2014

I ride Croydon to Town Hall in the morning. Let me know if you need the company. #illridewithyou — Frances Holland (@frances_holland) December 15, 2014

#illridewithyou is an amazing initiative. I live in Bondi Junction and work in the city. happy to help where possible — Baehead (Official) (@DECKHEAD) December 15, 2014

#illridewithyou 480, 483, 418, 462, 464, 466 bus routes (I’m in Ashfield). Any time since I don’t work! ?? — A Christmas Cathy (@morlonbrondo) December 15, 2014

I’m in. If u wear religious garments & feel unsafe on public transport, I’ll sit with u. Redfern-KX, peak hrs. #illridewithyou @sirtessa — Mia Lazzarini (@mialazzarini) December 15, 2014

Well done, everyone. This is a nice way to take back what’s been a shitty day.

Get on board and offer your own support if you can, by Tweeting through with the hashtag.

Support and information is available for the distressed online at Lifeline by calling 13 11 24. You can contact your local mental health service via the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511. You can find more information online from NSW Health here. Twenty-four hour support is also available at Kids Help Line online or on 1800 55 1800.

Photo: Peter Parks via Getty Images.