by Panagioti / Earth First! Newswire
Nurse-in at Aventura Mall, Miami, FL. Aug 7, 2014
Last week marked the 22 annual celebration of World Breastfeeding Week. Some mamas in Miami took it as an opportunity for direct action against a corporate-driven culture that still tries to shame women for feeding their young. After a mother was told to cover herself while nursing her kid or leave a playground in Aventura, FL.
In response, about a hundred moms showed up for a “nurse-in.” Check out a video of the protest and news coverage on CBS.
“[They] Advised me I could not stay unless I was covered up by a blanket and of course I was really uncomfortable,” said Krisite Quinones of the encounter between her and mall employees.
Quinones said she was humiliated when multiple employees told her that it is mall policy. She said security was even called out when she told them it was her right to nurse in public. According to the laws of Florida, a person has the right to nurse a child whenever and wherever they choose.
Mall management acquiesced, saying the incident was a result of a miscommunication and that they support mothers who breastfeed.
As they damn well should. Breastfeeding is one of the few remaining crystal-clear indications that, despite the best efforts of governments, religions and business interests, we are kin to the mammals of the Earth. It is an undeniable connection to the land and water, which in turn become nourishment for our offspring.
Write it off as hippy-dippy mumbo-jumbo if you want, but breastfeeding mamas are on the frontlines of the ecological resistance—forebearers of a biocentric revolution, if there is to be one.
And its not just security guards and mall-shopping right-wing nut jobs that they’re up against. Companies like Nestlé are still trying to promote industrially-produced on families around the world. This year, they even attempted to co-opt World Breastfeeding Week, and in response to this sort of nonsense were voted least ethical company of the last 25 years by readers of Ethical Consumer magazine.
A little about the history of World Breastfeeding Week:
“The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) was formed in 1991 to act on the Innocenti Declaration (1990) to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. As part of its action plan to facilitate and strengthen social mobilisation for breastfeeding, WABA envisioned a global unifying breastfeeding promotion strategy. A day dedicated to breastfeeding was suggested to be marked in the calendar of international events. The idea of a day’s celebration was later turned into a week.
This has become to be known as World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) celebrated every 1-7 August to commemorate the Innocenti Declaration. WBW was first celebrated in 1992. Now it involves over 170 countries…”
http://miami.cbslocal.com/latest-videos?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10450527
