A breastfeeding rally to denounce the expulsion of a woman who wanted to breastfeed at the Eaton Center mobilized more than a hundred people on Sunday afternoon. “When you pass in front of a nursing person, continue on your way,” exclaimed on a small stage one of the organizers, Valérie Laframboise. She was referring to the story of Isabelle Côté, the mother who, a week earlier, had been banned from breastfeeding in public in the mall.
The atmosphere of the rally was joyful as dozens of toddlers ran in all directions near their parents, between the Uniqlo and Sephora stores. The Eaton Center mobilized employees to distribute juice and snacks to children while mothers settled in chairs arranged in rows to breastfeed. “We have contacted the event organizers to ask them about their needs,” confirmed a public affairs representative from Ivanhoé Cambridge at Homework.
The event was organized in support of Isabelle Côté, who was banned from breastfeeding on a bench in the shopping center. “What we realized this week is that my case was not an isolated case. It really happens more often than you think, ”she lamented in an interview.
An assertion that corroborates Jeanne, a mother present at the event with her spouse and her two children. “Two months ago, I was shopping for clothes and my child needed to eat. I asked the clerks if I could breastfeed and they told me no,” says the mother.
“Me, I breastfeed everywhere and I’ve never experienced discrimination, but I find it really a shame to see that moms go through this,” said Daphne, who came to breastfeed her little Renaud. “The fight is really far from over,” said Sophie, a mother present at the event to breastfeed her toddler.
Kiosks of the Mouvement Allaitement Québec and the Nourri-Source Federation, which supports breastfeeding in families, were set up on site.
Isabelle Côté was delighted to see mothers flocking in such large numbers. “Breastfeeding should be done everywhere, and mothers should be proud to do it! »