Mother Berated By Security Officers For Breastfeeding At Disneyland Paris

On Thursday, a lady was 'berated' by security officers at Disneyland Paris for breastfeeding her daughter on a seat. She expressed her hope that public outcry over her ordeal would help avoid future instances of 'mum shaming.'

The incident took place last Saturday when the 33 years old Australian, Laura was feeding her two-month-old child near a ride and was told by three guards to move from there or to cover up. Later, Disney apologized on behalf of the three guards for their actions.

She stated that three people surrounded her and berated her to cease doing something she considers a fully natural and normal part of life. After the interference of the guards, she felt extremely vulnerable, terrified, and intimidated.

The mother claimed as she told the guards very firmly that she would not obey their orders, but the guards insisted she should halt or go to a specialized mother-and-child area to feed her daughter.

She further inquired about the basis for the requests with the guards and learned that she was told to leave since the request was made with the intention of benefiting the park's other guests of all cultures and religions.

On Wednesday, the story started spreading on social media, Disneyland responded by stating that moms had access to specific rooms with acceptable and comfortable material, such as dedicated breastfeeding seats.

Marlene Schiappa, France's junior interior minister and a passionate advocate for women's rights, responded on Twitter about the incident that 'breastfeeding a baby is not an offense.' She praised them for designated quarters, which is great, but no one knows when or where a baby may be hungry.

In France, there are no laws against public breastfeeding; instead, there are statutes prohibiting nudity if it is considered sexual objectification. According to data from the UN children's agency Unicef, France has the second-lowest percentage of breastfeeding in the developed world, with one in every three children being fed exclusively with infant formula.

Meanwhile, the Alice Springs native, who has resided in France with her husband for five years addressed the issue as larger than Disneyland. She said that there are others as well who had received unwanted comments or filthy stares while breastfeeding their children in public. She also added that she would like to encourage others to speak up against "mum shaming" and intervene if they observe mothers being mistreated.