A violent protest erupted last weekend at a factory in southern China that makes toys for McDonald’s and other international companies, a rights group said Thursday... The factory is owned by the Merton Company... Merton’s Web site lists Disney and McDonald’s among its customers. Workers told China Labor Watch that roughly half of the toys made at the factory were supplied to McDonald’s... Lisa Howard, director of corporate communications for McDonald’s, said it had purchased toys from the factory through a supplier, Creata Promotion. She said Creata was investigating the matter. “We need to get more of the facts,” she said. “We want a full investigation, and Creata has committed to that.” Michael Lillioja, executive director of Creata, confirmed by e-mail that an investigation was under way but raised doubts about China Labor Watch’s characterization of the incident. He said the factory had won awards for workplace safety and was regularly monitored by outside agencies... Creata...quoted factory officials as blaming a “disgruntled employee who was terminated.”