AppleInsider StaffReports of a "mass disturbance" at Foxconn's Taiyuan factory surfaced early Monday local China time, with the purported 2,000-person riot having caused damage to the plant's infrastructure.
The first reports came in late Saturday night through the Sina Weibo micro-blogging service, showing pictures of police clad in riot gear fending off large groups of people in and around Foxconn's plant, reports Engadget.
What sparked the disturbance is still unknown, however unofficial reports point to a worker being hit by a Foxconn guard at around 10 p.m. on Sunday, local time. The resulting riot was also said to include 2,000 people, however that too has yet to be confirmed.
Chinese censors are already removing pictures and video of the incident from the internet.
In a report earlier this month, a Chinese reporter supposedly went undercover inside the Taiyuan factory to experience the facility's working and living conditions first hand, and found that the plant was responsible for the fabrication of "uni-body" backplates used in Apple's latest iPhone 5.
Update: According to Reuters, a Foxconn official said the incident was in fact a fight between workers from different production lines.
"The fight is over now ... we're still investigating the cause of the fight and the number of people involved," said Foxconn spokesman Louis Woo. He went on to say the company will release a statement regarding the matter later on Monday.
Update 2: Foxconn has reportedly shut down the Taiyuan factory due to the disturbance which reportedly injured 40 people.
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78 Comments
Maybe this is why some of the iPhone 5s are nicked and scratched. Maybe they were used as weapons
Here we go, more feeding frenzy to come... As an expat living in China, I can tell you that their are in fact 10's of thousands of demonstrations in China every year. Yes, 10's of thousands. As to the sensational headlines, and story here about "mass disturbance" and "damage to the plant's infrastructure", in the photos it looks like a couple windows were broken and the guard station and gate were destroyed. Until more news comes out, hardly seems like a massive riot. If in fact the guards beat up an employee, I'm sure the situation will be rectified very very quickly. It is also sensationalism to call this an "iPhone 5 plant" when in it appears that they make many kinds of parts for many types of products and the only item they make for the iPhone is the back aluminum structure. Why not call it an X-Box plant since Foxconn also makes those? Or a Dell plant, or an HP plant since they most likely also make components for them?
This is due to exploitation and Apple is contributing to it. What, only a couple of bucks or so go labor on iPhone?
Apple is turning out to be the most greediest company in history.
Apple customer since 1990...
[quote name="pfisher" url="/t/152824/riot-reported-at-apple-partner-manufacturer-foxconns-iphone-5-plant#post_2196749"]This is due to exploitation and Apple is contributing to it. What, only a couple of bucks or so go labor on iPhone? Apple is turning out to be the most greediest company in history. Apple customer since 1990... [/quote] I think you hit upon at least points on TallesSkil's troll list. Let's see if you break the record.
This is due to exploitation and Apple is contributing to it. What, only a couple of bucks or so go labor on iPhone?
Apple is turning out to be the most greediest company in history.
Nope. Nuh uh. Not true.
Apple customer since 1990...
HOLY CRAP, THAT MUST MAKE IT TRUE! HOW WRONG COULD I HAVE BEEN?!
Oh, right, Solipsism makes a good point. I haven't had a chance to whip out my China ones yet.
No numbers on these because the order is still up in the air.
EDIT: He's right, one more.
A~nd throw this in just because a case for it can be made in the words he chose.