On Friday, customers globally rushed to Apple Stores to purchase the newly released iPhone 16. However, in over a dozen cities, they encountered protests organized by current and former Apple employees.
The demonstrators, brandishing signs and banners stating that Apple is “profiting from genocide,” called for the tech giant to cease sourcing cobalt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mines in the Congo are known for dangerous conditions, inadequate wages, frequent child labor, and human rights violations.
Apple has responded by stating that it does not source minerals from mines with such conditions. Nonetheless, the company acknowledged the “challenges” in tracking its mineral supply chains, leading to the termination of 12 suppliers in 2022. Recently, the Congolese government questioned Apple regarding potential “blood minerals” in its supply chain.
The protesters also urged Apple to address the ongoing conflict in Gaza, described by some human rights experts as a genocide.
The protests, spanning 10 countries, were primarily coordinated by Apples Against Apartheid, a group consisting of five current and about a dozen former Apple employees, mostly from retail roles at Apple Stores. Formerly known as Apples4Ceasefire, the group partnered with Friends of the Congo and local activist organizations worldwide. Social media posts depicted protesters with banners outside Apple Stores in cities such as Bristol, Reading, London, Tokyo, Brussels, Cape Town, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Montreal, and Cardiff, as well as in U.S. locations including the flagship Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan, Palo Alto, and Berkeley.
Although some protests had minimal participant turnout, protesters often displayed large banners and flags of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Palestine. The majority of in-person protesters were not Apple employees.
The largest demonstration occurred in Berlin, with over three dozen participants, where police directed protesters away from the Apple Store, leading to the arrest of an individual wearing a keffiyeh. Tariq Ra’Ouf, a prominent organizer from Apples Against Apartheid, reported five arrests. Ra’Ouf, previously employed at a Seattle Apple Store for 12 years until his dismissal in July, alleges his firing was retaliatory for his public criticism of Apple’s “anti-Palestinian bias and racism.” Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment on either the protest or Ra’Ouf’s allegations.
Ra’Ouf stated the group’s intention was to disrupt Apple’s largest sales day to draw attention to the support for affected communities. He emphasized the aim to impact Apple’s sales performance by showcasing visible solidarity for these communities.