China’s strict zero-COVID strategy and talk of delaying payments have pushed workers to the breaking point at the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou. The workers at the factory—which happens to be China’s largest iPhone producer—are in a “closed loop” system. This means that they both live and work on the factory’s campus.
The factory began closed-loop operations last month in an attempt to contain a COVID outbreak. This triggered a mass exodus of workers who were already irritated by hardcore quarantine rules, food shortages, and poor working conditions.
Needless to say, these aren’t happy workers. Reportedly, tensions boiled over yesterday when the workers began to suspect the factory was going to delay bonus pay.
Protests began and continued into a night that was marked by numerous clashes, lots of property destruction, and most dangerously, open defiance toward Chinese authority. Videos, pictures, and live streams of the protest began to be shared online. This was mostly censored by Chinese social media platforms. But not before the posts made their way to foreign platforms.
For those interested, some of these videos are compiled below.
????????????????20?????????????????
???????????
pic.twitter.com/aHHbRrHsdW— ?????(????) (@CCPFUCKUP1) November 23, 2022
???????????????????????
ps?????????????????????
???????????
???????????????? #??? #?? pic.twitter.com/yn1UggJfkp— ???????? (@Lslymlwxc) November 22, 2022
Foxconn workers rushed out of the factory ????????? pic.twitter.com/hvNhAwxCUX
— China Labor Watch (@chinalaborwatch) November 20, 2022
#??? ????#????? ????????????????????,??????????????????????????????#?????????????????????1?#??? pic.twitter.com/NRUTxcIcD5
— mark??????? (@mark57677) November 22, 2022
??????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/jHSS9ixQNZ
— ???????? (@whyyoutouzhele) November 22, 2022
????? pic.twitter.com/euMgdePpMR
— ??? (@wangmin05556071) November 22, 2022
????????????????????????????????????45???????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/A516VAgfid
— ??? (@zhiyinsheng1) November 22, 2022
A video of the aftermath taken near Foxconn staff quarters, provided to AFP by a former worker, shows smashed Covid testing booths, what looks like an upturned police vehicle and metal railings. pic.twitter.com/yeTCggFPK5
— Laurie Chen (@lauriechenwords) November 23, 2022
#??? ??????????? pic.twitter.com/CheTec69Bp
— ???? (@spainsixia) November 23, 2022
#??? ?????????????? pic.twitter.com/C3ue8SkPBV
— ???? (@spainsixia) November 23, 2022
BREAKING: Foxconn confirms ‘violence’ at China iPhone factory pic.twitter.com/YHdIF0vMFz
— ??C?? (@AlertChannel) November 23, 2022
#???????,???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/oHkfLRmxcH
— ?lfh.7??????????.????.?????? (@lfh46123376) November 23, 2022
11?23??????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/P5cOiJBpya
— ????TV-NEWS (@SOHTV_NEWS) November 22, 2022
