{"id":1750161,"date":"2022-11-24T06:06:05","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T11:06:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1750161"},"modified":"2022-11-24T07:33:11","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T12:33:11","slug":"violent-protests-erupt-at-largest-apple-iphone-factory-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/violent-protests-erupt-at-largest-apple-iphone-factory-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Violent Protests Erupt at Largest Apple iPhone Factory in China"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fviolent-protests-erupt-at-largest-apple-iphone-factory-in-china%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1750161&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Hundreds of workers clashed with police at the world\u2019s largest iPhone assembly facility in China, which has been placed under COVID-19 lockdown in recent weeks, according to online videos and workers at the site.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDefend our rights!\u201d workers at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-foxconn\">Foxconn<\/a> Technology Group\u2019s factory chanted on Tuesday night, according to a viral <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ganjing.com\/en-US\/video\/1fe3ro3vvdi5a2oQUiHZcMImf1a81c\">video<\/a>\u00a0that began circulating on social media on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>In one scene, hundreds of workers jostle and push guards in white hazmat suits, while others scream \u201cfight, fight!\u201d Another video shows tear gas being deployed and workers taking down quarantine barriers. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ganjing.com\/en-US\/video\/1fe4155bdab1HanpU6hUmIsSN10s1c\">videos<\/a> could not be immediately verified by The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<p>What triggered the protests, which broke out in the late hours of Tuesday, was a delayed bonus and fears of infection, four new workers at the plant told The Epoch Times. Hundreds of white-clad police, including anti-riot police, swept onto the scene and beat protesters with batons, they added.<\/p>\n<p>Seven or eight police repeatedly struck a person with sticks, and blood was streaming from his head, a worker told The Epoch Times. \u201cIt\u2019s so dangerous. I was trying to flee when I saw the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The rare unrest in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, marked an escalation of discontent since the factory imposed a lockdown in October. More than 200,000 staff at the iPhone assembly plant were isolated from the outside, working and living on the site under the closed-loop system as the city tried to contain fresh outbreaks.<\/p>\n<p>Thousands of workers climbed over fences to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/workers-leave-iphone-factory-in-zhengzhou-amid-covid-curbs_4830165.html\">\u00a0try to leave the plant<\/a> when the company announced the closure last month. Those who managed to flee the campus on foot said at that time they couldn\u2019t endure the harsh quarantine rules and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/unbearable-conditions-for-foxconn-employees-isolated-by-covid-19-outbreak_4826479.html\">poor living conditions<\/a>\u00a0that included shortages of food and medical care.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4830175\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/10\/30\/China_Foxconn_22303531073417a-1200x784.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy size-medium wp-image-4830175\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/themes\/eet\/images\/white.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/China_Foxconn_22303531073417a-600x392-1.jpg\" alt=\"China Foxconn\" width=\"600\" height=\"392\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4830175\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/China_Foxconn_22303531073417a-600x392-1.jpg\" alt=\"China Foxconn\" width=\"600\" height=\"392\" \/><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a> People with suitcases and bags leave Foxconn compound in Zhengzhou in central China\u2019s Henan Province on Oct. 29, 2022, in a still from video. (Hangpai Xingyang via AP)<\/figure>\n<p>To retain staff and attract more workers, Foxconn has had to offer bonuses and higher salaries. Local authorities also stepped in, with some urging retired soldiers and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members to take on shifts, according to local media reports.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were deceived,\u201d said a second worker from the southern city of Shenzhen. He claimed the company denied the bonus and delayed the payment they had promised in online contracts. \u201cI traveled more than 1,500 km (970 miles) [for the job] and then they changed the terms of contract.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI only have some 100 yuan (13 dollars) left. Where should I go now?\u201d He said in a phone interview with The Epoch Times. \u201cIf I go back to Shenzhen, I will probably be quarantined again. I don\u2019t know whether I need to<span> pay for quarantine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Chinese cities often require people to be quarantined when they arrive. The mandatory payment is often for hotel accommodation, and they need to pay for food as well.<\/p>\n<p>A third worker said they were forced to share dormitories with colleagues who had tested positive for COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t work with an infected person. I\u2019m afraid of catching the virus,\u201d the man told The Epoch Times on Wednesday. \u201cBut if I leave and return to my hometown, I will be quarantined and<span>\u00a0[forced to] pay for the compulsory isolation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In a statement issued early Wednesday morning, Foxconn said it had fulfilled its payment contracts and that reports of infected staff living on campus along with new recruits were \u201cuntrue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRegarding any violence, the company will continue to communicate with employees and the government to prevent similar incidents from happening again,\u201d the company added.<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday\u2019s protest underscores the build-up of frustration with the regime\u2019s ultra-harsh COVID rules. The regime\u2019s zero-COVID policy\u2014which relies on snap lockdowns, mass surveillance, and mandatory quarantines\u2014has dragged down the country\u2019s economy and wreaked havoc on global supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>Experts suggested that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/despite-human-cost-china-wont-end-zero-covid-approach-experts_4867997.html\">unlikely to roll back<\/a>\u00a0its harsh approach anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cZero-COVID has been a cover [by the CCP] to expand political control,\u201d Dr. Rory Truex, assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs, said during a hearing on Nov. 16.<\/p>\n<p>As of Wednesday afternoon, most of the footage on Kuaishou, a\u00a0short-form-video app that is popular in China, had been taken down, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4868061\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/11\/16\/GettyImages-1230682359-1200x800.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy size-medium wp-image-4868061\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/themes\/eet\/images\/white.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/GettyImages-1230682359-600x400-1.jpg\" alt=\"Epoch Times Photo\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4868061\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/GettyImages-1230682359-600x400-1.jpg\" alt=\"Epoch Times Photo\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" \/><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a> A picture of Chinese leader Xi Jinping wearing a mask is displayed at a convention center that was previously used as a makeshift hospital for patients in Wuhan, China, on Jan. 15, 2021. (Nicolas Asfouri\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figure>\n<p>The latest curbs and discontent\u00a0among workers are expected to further hamper Apple Inc.\u2019s production. Foxconn is Apple\u2019s biggest iPhone maker, accounting for 70 percent of iPhone shipments globally. It makes most of the phones at the Zhengzhou plant, though it also has other smaller production sites in India and southern China.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, Apple issued a rare warning that the COVID restrictions in Zhengzhou \u201csignificantly\u201d impacted its iPhone supply chain\u2014especially the high-end iPhone 14 models\u2014ahead of the peak holiday season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to work here anymore. I want to go home,\u201d a 48-year-old worker from a neighboring Xinxiang city said on the phone. \u201cI never worked in an electronics factory. You have to keep a standing position all day. I can\u2019t bear it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Gu Xiaohua, Hong Ning, and Reuters contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"author_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"one_author_block round\">\n<div class=\"top_row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/author-dorothy-li\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/themes\/eet\/images\/default-user.png\" alt=\"Dorothy Li\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Dorothy Li is a reporter for The Epoch Times based in Europe.\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hundreds of workers clashed with police at the world\u2019s largest iPhone assembly facility in China, which has been placed under COVID-19 lockdown in recent weeks, according to online videos and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1750164,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1750161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1750161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1750161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1750161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1750164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1750161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1750161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1750161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}