Target workers have had to defend a breastfeeding mother from an abusive man.

When a breastfeeding mother sat at a quiet table in Target to nurse her newborn baby she never expected to be laid into by a fellow customer.

But that’s just what happened to young mum Jessie Maher yesterday.

The mother of one-month-old Zinnia was shocked when a man, at her local Target store in Connecticut in the US,  told her she was “disgusting” and called her a “whore” ….but it’s the actions of her fellow customers and staff at the shop that will renew your faith in humanity.

After the man began abusing her Jessie took out her phone and began to record the incident – her video has now been viewed more than 3 million times.

She wrote on Facebook:

“Anybody know this asshole who verbally assaulted me in target this morning while I was breastfeeding my baby? (He’s wearing an Avon shirt). Before the video started rolling he looked at me and said (very angrily), “can’t you do that somewhere else?… That’s fucking disgusting.. You are nasty” (he said a few other things under his breath) I responded with, “I am feeding my baby, and I have the right to do it here…walk the fuck away..leave me the fuck alone” He responded with, (as he’s walking closer and closer to me and getting louder) “you are fucking disgusting…you are fucking disgusting…you are fucking disgusting…you whore” he said a bunch more bullshit that I can not remember ….by this point EVERYONE came to my defense! Target staff and shoppers… Then I started rolling the camera….”

Jessie Maher was feeding her one month old baby. Via Facebook.

As abuse continued a woman approaches Jessie and stands between her and the man.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of feeding your baby, OK?" the female customer says to Jessie.

"He can go the other way.  This is a beautiful moment right now, if he doesn't like it he can go."

The Target staff too then stand in between the mother and her baby and the disgruntled customer and usher the man out of the store.

“I’m good! I’m feeding my baby and we’re chill. And I’ve got some defending women around me,” she said. Via Facebook.

Jessie later wrote that one of the male employees "was so sweet… He kept saying, 'It's your right to nurse wherever you want here.'"

When asked afterwards if she was okay Jessie replies:

“I’m good! I’m feeding my baby and we’re chill. And I’ve got some defending women around me.”

Defending women.

That’s what the world needs more of.