A humanitarian tragedy and mass demand to hold the defaulters accountable

• Nineveh Governorate demonstration 26-09-2023

Thousands of Iraqis took part in a church service in a scene filled with mourning for losing their loved ones. Tahira in Qaraqush, to pray for the souls of the victims of the terrible fire that broke out in a wedding hall in the town of Hamdaniya, in northern Iraq a day ago. The Nineveh Operations commander, Abdullah Al-Jubouri, confirmed that the investigations into the incident have ended, and calls are growing for those responsible to be held accountable for this tragedy."

He delivered a sermon at the Immaculate Conception Church in Hamdaniya, highlighting that Iraq is united in its grief and criticizing officials for their corruption and nepotism. He criticized officials for their corruption and nepotism and stated that the country did not meet the required standards. He emphasized those responsible should be held accountable.

As a government response, in an official statement of the Iraqi government, the Iraqi government declared three days of mourning. The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mr. Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani, also visited the injured and the families of the victims, where he showed during his visit that he would impose the maximum penalties for the negligence in the Hamdaniya fire. The media office of the prime minister reported that Mr. Sudani visited the injured and deceased at the Republican Hospital and Hamdaniya Hospital, along with the ministers of Interior, Health, Culture, and Immigration. Security forces were not seen at the gathering, possibly due to it being a funeral for the victims of the fire. The incident gained significant media coverage, with many channels reporting on it, as well as social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter

Dhi Qar Governorate demonstration on 18-09-2023

Many media organizations were there to cover the event, including local channels and agencies. The rally lasted three hours, then the demonstrators left their gathering place with no harassment, and after the local government contacted one representative of the rally promising to raise the demands to the Council of Ministers.

Reasons for the demonstration/demands of the demonstrators

By reviewing the two demonstrations in the Nineveh and Dhi Qar governorates, it is clear that the most prominent reasons that led to their launch are the following.

• Accountability of the negligent persons in the incident of the Hamdaniya fire.

2- Investigating the circumstances of the Hamdaniya fire.

3- Linking people with special needs to the prime minister's office directly.

4- Providing plots of land for people with special needs.

Notes on the handling of gatherings by the security authorities:

The nature and conditions of the two demonstrations were different, so it can be said that the assessment of the security forces carried two points of view, the first was that the security forces did not protect the demonstrators in the demonstration that was launched to mourn the bodies of the victims of the fire in Hamdaniya, even though it was a mass demonstration if compared to the second demonstration in Dhi Qar governorate, where the security forces were monitored and worked to contain and organize the demonstration. This difference in the treatment of the security forces may lead us back to the consideration of the General Organization of the work of the security forces and the extent to which they are organized according to the criteria commensurate with the purpose of their existence, mainly to protect citizens and state property.