The WHO says about 16,000 children in the Philippines alone die each year because their formula is mixed with dirty water or of not putting enough formula powder which is very expensive. Only 16 percent of Filipino women breast-feed their kids for the first six months. There is a huge public health campaign to promote breast milk. The biggest enemies of the campaign are the multinational baby formula manufacturers.

There was Emily Gillette, 27, of New Mexico in America, who had been sitting in a plane which was three hours late in leaving. She began nursing her year-old daughter. A flight attendant asked her to cover up while she was breast-feeding, handing her a blanket. Gillette refused the blanket.

For this, she was ordered off a Freedom Airlines plane about to take off. She was removed along with her husband and child.

The airline later disciplined the unidentified attendant. "Lactivists" and women’s rights supporters were outraged, and Gillette filed a complaint with the US Human Rights Commission.

"It’s a basic human thing that we are doing and we should be able to do it in public without being kicked off planes, without being told to sit in bathrooms," said Susan Parker, 30. She participated in a demonstration at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut along with 10-month-old daughter.

Carrying signs with slogans such as "Best in-flight meal ever," scores of mothers breast-fed their babies at airports around the country Tuesday in a show of support for the woman who was ordered off a plane for nursing her daughter without covering.

"It’s about raising consciousness about our culture’s sexualization of the breast. Breast-feeding needs to be supported wherever and whenever it happens. Babies don’t know the meaning of `wait,’" said Chelsea Clark, 31, wearing a "Got breast milk?" T-shirt as she nursed her 9-week-old son at the airport.

About 25 women turned out for the "nurse-in" at the airport, parking themselves near a ticket counter in a peaceful–but not-so-quiet–demonstration. Similar protests were held at airports in many states in the US.

Some of the women carried signs that read, "Don’t be lactose intolerant" and "Breasts–not just for selling cars anymore."

Gillette joined about 30 women, children and fathers at the Albuquerque airport. "When women are harassed for breast-feeding, a woman can end up feeling ashamed and she shouldn’t," she said, tears welling in her eyes.

At a Tennessee airport, about 25 mothers, fathers and children took part in a demonstration, holding signs that said "Breast-fed is best fed" and "Best in-flight meal ever." About 40 mothers nursed their babies at an Oregon airport.

Passers-by called out words of encouragement at an Ohio airport, where about a dozen women sat on benches and on the floor, some breast-feeding.

One passerby in Kentucky commented: "I think you should be discreet" pointing to the controversy. Does the need to feed a baby justify flaunting bare breasts to all the passers-by? A bandana with the two corners tied around the mother’s neck would provide enough concealment.

A little modesty, propriety, decorum, discretion would avoid a scene. Society and tradition still frowns upon exposing private parts to public view, whether relieving one’s self or breastfeeding.