The events in Dhi Qar province today, Sunday, have caused shock within both popular and political circles, related to the protests by oil contract workers demonstrating in front of the Dhi Qar Oil Company. Their protests were marked by violent clashes and severe repression, resulting in serious injuries among the demonstrators. The shock stemmed from recorded footage showing intense suppression not seen in Iraq since the October protests of 2019, with violence affecting even women, and one demonstrator was shown to have been violently struck, resulting in severe damage to his eye.
The brutal images sparked angry reactions both socially and politically, and the seriousness extends beyond the violent backlash and shocking scenes. What exacerbates the situation is that these events occurred in Dhi Qar, a province known for its "hot protests," recognized since October as one of the most dangerous areas for demonstrations.
The situation began when protesters tried to close the Dhi Qar Oil Company after days of ongoing protests demanding employment. However, the demonstration faced a violent response from security forces, seemingly in reaction to the attempted closure of the company. Despite the documented severe injuries among the demonstrators, the Interior Minister issued a statement suggesting that the majority of injuries occurred among security forces rather than protesters.
Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari directed a specialized investigative team to "determine the circumstances surrounding the injury of 19 police personnel within Dhi Qar's police command, one of whom is in critical condition, as well as 4 citizens during the protests aimed at closing the Dhi Qar Oil Company and gas plant," according to a statement from the ministry.
According to the official figures, the confusion has increased, leaving open the question of any prior justification for injuries among the protesters, as the statement indicates incidents of aggression against security personnel. Nonetheless, the facts and events that transpired remain unclear. On the other hand, other footage showed protesters attacking riot police with stones, resulting in a back-and-forth battle between both sides, with a medical source revealing that a critically injured security personnel lost his reproductive organ during the events.
