Does anyone know about this situation in Montreal?  Can anyone give this woman
any suggestions about protest or other actions that might help?

J. Rachael Hamlet
Owner, Lactivist Mailing List
Author, The Breastfeeding Advocacy Page
http://www.clark.net/pub/activist/bfpage/bfpage.html

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From:          [log in to unmask]
Date:          Thu, 11 Jan 1996 11:13 -0500 (EST)
Subject:       Breastfeeding in public in Montreal
To:            [log in to unmask]

    Hi! I got your name from a good friend who is a La Leche League leader
    in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Susanna Eve (Rosenbaum).

    This week a judgment was awarded to a breastfeeding mom by the Quebec
    Human Rights Commission ($2500) following an incident in an up-scale
    shopping mall (Westmount Square).  The mother (Ann Martin) had stopped
    to breastfeed her 3 or 4 month old baby.  A (female) security guard
    approached her and said that there had been several complaints and
    asked he to cover up or leave.  That was 18 months ago.

    The judment is non-binding on the mall owners and the security company.
     If they fail to pay in 30 days, the matter will go to a tribunal (like
    an administrative trial).

    I have already written to mall management and the real estate
    consortium which owns it telling them I will no longer shop there
    unless they pay the judgment.  So far they say (in public) they did not
    discriminate and seem to indicate they won't pay.

    I would like to organize some sort of protest action ie a "nurse-in".
    I thought you might have some ideas for really effective protest
    action.  I understand La Leche League does not endorse this sort of
    action, but speaking to a few like minded individuals, I think I could
    muster alot of support.

    So far, the public comments in the media are, of course it's ok to
    breastfeed, so long as you are discreet.  To me that is not the issue.
     Women have a right to breastfeed anywhere and everywhere, and
    society as a whole benefits.

    If you have a chance to reply quickly, I'd
    appreciate it as I think one must strike while the iron is hot, so to
    speak.

    Just to give you a bit of personal background, I am corporate counsel
    with Alcan Aluminium, a mother of four (four and under) all breastfed,
    including twins.  My current baby is 6 1/2 months, and so far only on
    breast milk even though I returned to work 2 1/2 months ago.

    Many thanks for your help.