Riots Erupt at Foxconn Plant in China That Makes iPhone 5 Parts

Reports out of China suggest that riots may have broken out at a Foxconn factory in China in the city of Taiyuan. It is not clear what happened, but posts from China's Twitter-like service, Weibo, show photos and video of large numbers of police in and around the factory. Many of the police are wearing riot gear. Other images show debris strewn around the Foxconn grounds, including an overturned guard tower. Foxconn had to close the plant early Monday, and the company said that several people were hospitalized and detained by the police after the disturbance escalated into a riot.

Engadget.com reports that the disturbance began when Foxconn security guards allegedly hit a worker around 10pm on Sunday.

The photos may not be published for very long, as censors in China have already begun deleting the pictures of the incident.

The Foxconn facility creates the back plate of the new iPhone 5.

Foxconn is no stranger to problems at its Taiyuan factory. In March, strikes broke out when workers did not receive a promised pay raise. Foxconn's Chengdu plant in Sichuan province dealt with riots in June, after workers got into a fight with a local restaurant owner and police had to break it up.

Foxconn has also been under fire for some time for its low wages, strict rules on representation, and tough working conditions, including long hours. In addition, they've dealt with numerous suicides at its plants throughout China.

Foxconn is responsible for much of the current production and assembly of Apple's various products, including the iPhone and iPad, and has been one of their primary manufacturers over the years. Recently, Apple took steps to diversify its portfolio of producers, awarding much of the manufacturing of its new iPad to another company in Taiwan, Pegatron.