Why I Won't Be Going To Villagio

It felt like so many of us left in June for the holiday still shellshocked by it all. Over the summer break in Australia I realized there were now a lot more people who knew where Qatar was - for all the wrong reasons.

"Oh you live in Qatar? Isn't that where the children died in the fire?"

People assumed they'd been a huge raging fire that swept through the building, that there must have been a mass evacuation and those who died were unable to escape from the fire in time. But, for those of us who were online or anywhere near Villagio that day, we knew it was nothing like that at all.

As people roamed through Villagio with the smoke alarms ringing like background music, they were assured there was "no problem". When the staff at Gympanzee came down to ask what was going on they were assured "no problem". And when a woman stood screaming outside of Villagio that there were still children inside, she was told "no problem".

And when someone finally got around to admitting that yes there was a problem, and it was out of control, it was too late. It wasn't an accident. It was incompetence and negligence, the people who should have stepped up were nowhere to be found.

I returned from the Summer with the thought that I wouldn't go back to Villagio until the case was settled and decisions had been made. How could I? I knew the paint was still the same, I knew the exit doors were still locked and I watched as more fires were reported. But beyond that, I couldn't go back because I knew that the people who had failed that day were yet to be held accountable for their actions. That nothing had changed in their lives. Going back to Villagio meant giving them my blessing. Sure have my money, it's all over now, enough time has passed for my memory to be dulled.

I can't forget about it. Not when it's like this.

I can't forget about it when they paint murals only a hundred metres from a crime scene expecting that we'll pose for tourist shots.

I can't forget about it when they don't even bother to show up in court.

I can't forget about it when they refuse to acknowledge their involvement.

I can't forget about it when they open more stores and invite me to their ridiculous PR events. Asking me to bring my kids along so we can "celebrate" with them.

I can't forget about it until someone stands up and says "I'm so incredibly sorry, we will never let this happen again."

But they won't. I know they won't. How?

Because yesterday my friend sent me this. A picture in the Villagio carpark, it's one of many. A marketing campaign for an energy drink has pictures like these all around the building.

Villagio - you disgust me.

I understand that there are people that have to go to Villagio, but maybe while these pictures are up we could boycott? Make a stand. Tell them no.

Let them know that yes we will move forward, but we will never forget.

#BoycottVillagio