Chinese Government Sent Armed Police To Crackdown Escalated Foxconn Protest

The protests by Foxconn in Zhengzhou (郑州) employees were violently suppressed by the police late the night of November 22nd and early the following day. Nevertheless, the protest continued to escalate. On the morning of the 23rd, the local government deployed thousands of armed police officers from many other cities. Sources say dozens of protesters have been arrested.

Earlier, the newly employed workers protested against contract fraud and the poor quarantine environment. When attempting to rush out of the factory area, they clashed with the Zhengzhou police, who were waiting at the gate. The police deployed water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd, while protesters retaliated with fire extinguishers and stones.

Video footage showed protesters marching in droves. Then, after beating back the police at the entrance, there was an even fiercer clash with the armed police outside. The scene was very chaotic, with the police cars turned over, the barriers and iron bars flying over the crowd.

According to the latest reports, Henan has mobilized several thousand armed police forces around Zhengzhou(郑州) city, including Luoyang(洛阳), Kaifeng(开封), Zhumadian(驻马店), Xinxiang(新乡), and Xu Chang(许昌) to suppress Foxconn protesters. It is the largest scale military-style crackdown in Henan in decades.

On November 23rd, Foxconn reportedly paid ￥10,000 ($1400 USD) to newcomers who chose to leave their jobs and return home, including subsidies such as salaries, quarantine fees, delays, and fares.