Sydney siege: Online users condemn IllNotRideWithYou hashtag

During siege, which ended yesterday with two hostages dead as well as the gunman, #IllRideWithYou trended globally

People lay flowers at a floral memorial at the scene of Sydney's siege (GETTY)

Twitter users have condemned the hashtag IllNotRideWithYou that emerged yesterday as the 17-hour Sydney siege ended with three people, including the gunman, dead.

Just hours after the opposite sentiment of IllRideWithYou, celebrating diversity, trended worldwide users took to social media to declare IllNotRideWithYou.

The original hashtag, started by Australian user Sir Tessa, was prompted after a Muslim woman was hassled during a bus journey out of Sydney, during the hours of the siege.

User around the world picked up her suggestion and the hashtag trended globally for the day, with nearly half a million individual tweets – in comparison this latest effort has garnered only 160 individual postings, according to social media analyst Topsy.

Most users have condemned the movement.

Rachele Hawes wrote on Twitter: “Wake up to discover #illnotridewithyou a hashtag of supreme intolerance & stupidity. Heartbreaking”.

The siege of the Lindt chocolatier ended earlier yesterday morning in Australia. Heavily armed officers stormed the building in a dramatic conclusion to the 17-hour stalemate.

This morning, Austrlians were in a state of shock as it emerged two hostages, Katrina Dawson, 38, and Tori Johnson, 34, were killed along with the gunman, 50 –year-old Man Horan Monis.