A 29-year-old man who allegedly stabbed three people with a knife in a London Tube station last Saturday (Dec 5) has become the target of a Twitter hashtag campaign.
#YouAintNoMuslimBruv first topped the trending chat in Twitter in the aftermath of the incident at Leytonstone underground station, before catching on with users across the world.
It was inspired by an unidentified bystander, who was overheard shouting: "You ain't no Muslim, bruv! You're no Muslim, bruv! You ain't no Muslim!"
"Bruv" is London slang for "bro".
The attacker had allegedly cried "This is for Syria" and started his stabbing spree, before being subdued by a police officer with a Taser.
The British police said the attack, which left one man seriously injured and another with minor injuries, has been classified as a terrorism incident.
According to the BBC, the first tweets containing the hashtag appeared not long after the video of the stabbings emerged on social media.
The hashtag follows in the footsteps of similar messages on Twitter meant to express defiance and solidarity in the wake of terrorist attacks.
For instance, #PorteOuverte, which means "door open", gained traction after the Nov 13 Paris attacks as Parisians opened their doors to people seeking refuge, while #JesuisCharlie became the de facto rallying call following the Jan 7 Charlie Hebdo shooting.
