Large protests erupted on Wednesday at the world’s largest iPhone manufacturing plant in China. It is the property of the Taiwanese subcontractor Foxconn. The factory is located in Zhengzhou, central Henan Province. It is a huge industrial site that typically employs 200,000 people, most of whom reside on site in dormitories.
Footage of the protests, verified by AFP, shows a crowd of workers marching down a street. Some face people in white full body suits and riot police. On a video, filmed at night, a man appears with a bloody face. Off camera, another is heard saying, “They are hitting people, they are hitting people. Do they have a conscience? »
AFP was able to verify this video in particular thanks to the geolocation which made it possible to recognize one of the buildings and the barriers near the housing of employees on the site of the factory. Another video shows destroyed Covid test cabins and an overturned vehicle. In other footage, hundreds of people in white overalls can be seen standing on a road near the factory dormitories. The person filming from an adjacent building says, “It’s starting again. It’s from last night until this morning. »
Another video clip apparently shows security guards kicking a person who appears to be a worker lying on a road. And on a video broadcast live, at night, dozens of workers shout “Let’s defend our rights!” in front of rows of police and a police vehicle with flashing lights. Then the author of the video shouts “they charge! » and « tear gas canisters! “.
“Do not associate with illegal minority elements”
A video clip of the same nighttime protest, taken from a different angle, shows workers setting off fire extinguishers at police officers outside of camera range. In a photo taken during the day, we see the charred remains of a portal, apparently burned during the night. A video shot also during the day shows several fire engines and policemen in white coveralls, while a voice in a loudspeaker chants: “All workers, please return to your accommodation, do not not associate with illegal minority elements”.
The hashtag #Foxconnriots appears to be censored on Chinese social media. A few posts referring to the protests, however, remain online.
Foxconn is a large group that assembles electronic products for many international brands. The Taiwanese company, Apple’s main subcontractor, has faced an increase in Covid-19 cases in recent months at its huge site in Zhengzhou, the largest iPhone factory in the world.
Painful management of Covid-19
Foxconn had decided to confine the site with the workers inside. But hundreds of panicked workers then fled on foot. To keep the factory afloat, the company offered large bonuses to the remaining employees and tried to recruit new workers. US giant Apple, whose flagship iPhone is the iPhone, admitted in early November that the site’s lockdown had “temporarily affected” production, a blow ahead of the holiday sales period.
China tirelessly pursues a zero Covid health policy, which involves strict confinements, quarantines for those who test positive and almost daily PCR tests, arousing growing discontent among the population. Certain categories of people, in particular students and workers, are sometimes confined for many weeks in a row to campuses or production sites, without the possibility of moving freely.
The Taiwanese group is the largest private sector employer in China. He assembles electronic products for many international brands. It employs more than a million people across the country, spread across some 30 factories and research institutes. Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.