A breastfeeding mother was dragged out of a government building by police officers during a peaceful pro-refugee demonstration in Australia this week.
The 'pram-jam' protest at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) in Melbourne saw dozens of parents, babies, children and pregnant mothers occupy the government building on Wednesday.
Breastfeeding mother is dragged out of the building by officers
The group, who are calling for a pregnant refugee known as 'Abyan' to be given permanent Australian resettlement amid allegations she was raped, blocked the ground floor elevators.
Footage and images were released online of a mother being carried out of the DIBP smiling as her toddler clung to her.
The mother, who has only been referred to as "Jill", said that she was breastfeeding her 22-month-old son when police came to remove her from the centre.
Jill, along with other mothers at he protest, has been criticised for taking her child to the demonstration.
"Why are my son’s feeling so important, while the well-being of children in detention a matter of indifference?" she told Daily Mail Australia.
"When a government starts overseeing human rights abuses and ignoring international law, it's time for citizens - including mums and bubs - to undertake civil disobedience.
"If that means breastfeeding while being carried out of a public service building by police, so be it. There are far worse things going on in detention camps."
'Jill' has defended taking her son to the protest
The Friends, Families and Feminists Against Detention (FFFAD) group in Melbourne want Somali refugee Abyan, who claims she was raped on Nauru, to be given permanent resettlement in Australia.
The group were directing the protest at Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton.
They were also calling for "sexual violence against refugees stop and that offshore processing is brought to an end".
Members from FFAD occupied the ground floor of the DIBP
In a statement on the group's Facebook page, FFFAD organiser Gabrielle de Vietri, said: "Rape is not a 'racket' Mister Dutton. Asylum seekers have a right to continue to seek asylum in Australia.
"Instead of providing safety we're allowing women who should be part of Australia's future to be raped and tortured. Abyan should be resettled in Australia immediately away from living side by side with her perpetrator."
Another FFFAD organser, Karoline Morwitzer, said: "We are committed to ongoing civil disobedience on this issue until we end offshore processing and mandatory detention.
"A line was crossed and we are reclaiming our humanity back again. We are calling on all refugee supporters to refuse to cooperate with this system, just as Nurses and Doctors are doing in Melbourne and Sydney and faith based groups, such as Love Makes A Way, are doing across the country.”