Today in Labor History March 12, 1996: Riots erupted in Timika, Irian Jaya, disrupting Freeport mine operations. Over 1,000 Irianese people rampaged through town, hijacking cars and damaging buildings. Rioting against the Freeport mine spread to neighboring towns, as well. Freeport is owned by a U.S. company. It is the largest goldmine in the world.