Fearing that dozens of angry lactivists might show up at her pool, Karkouti contacted York Regional Police.

When it became clear they had no intention of sending uniformed officers, she says, Karkouti hired $400 worth of her own protection – four security guards who kept the 20 or so protesters, many of them children, at bay.

“I guess that’s what they come with,” Karkouti said yesterday of the Kevlar-clad guards. “I didn’t even notice. All I thought was, `If I have 400 people trying to force their way in, what am I supposed to do?’”

Says Longuinho: “We weren’t carrying signs or anything. The idea was to go and talk to her (Karkouti) and nurse in the pool. One of the guards even had handcuffs. I believe it was to intimidate us.”

Karkouti was so concerned the protest might foul the water, forcing a costly cleanup or shutdown, she refused to let the group in.

Does anyone else think that by admittedly refusing to let in a group of nursing mothers for fear they might breastfeed in the pool, Ms. Karkouti just violated the law again, and on a far grander scale?

Two other key points from the article: (1) the region was right in the middle of its “Anytime, Anywhere” breastfeeding campaign, and (2) after a rash of breastfeeding discrimination incidents at city pools, the Breastfeeding Action Committee of Edmonton counseled municipalities to develop breastfeeding-friendly regulations, “saying there is no evidence the practice is unsafe for babies, their mothers or others in the pool.”

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

~ Speaking of breastfeeding law violations, the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog discusses how a California company was fined $4,000 for violating a workplace pumping law.

~ In a New York Times obituary for La Leche League founder Edwina Froehlich, another LLL founder Mary White is quoted as saying, “We used to tell the mothers the three main obstacles to successful breast-feeding were doctors, hospitals and social pressure.” Unfortunately things are slow to change. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that hospitals do poorly on breastfeeding support.

~ The Chinese policewoman who breastfed nine babies during the recent earthquake crisis has been promoted for her efforts.

~ A Tennessee woman who was breastfeeding her 3-month-old son outside a county courtroom was asked by officers to move to a more discreet location. Tennessee law protects breastfeeding in public for infants 12 months and younger.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3