How Protesters Are Turning Delivery Apps Into Tools Of Solidarity

A steady stream of food delivery riders carrying meals, snacks and bottled water is helping sustain a youth-led protest movement that has sprung up in the heart of India's capital. Motorcycles weave through traffic before pulling up beside clusters of volunteers, ferrying donations from supporters across India and abroad unable to join a rare display of public dissent.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began as online satire in May, has been protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, demanding accountability from the government. As thousands gathered at the protest site, anonymous individuals from across the country sent so many meals that organisers eventually asked supporters to stop ordering more.

This phenomenon represents a major shift in how protests are sustained. Digital platforms have transformed the way distant supporters participate in movements, enabling remote solidarity through food delivery apps, social media coordination and cross-border support.

How Delivery Apps Became Protest Tools

Supporters across India and abroad have been placing food and beverage orders through delivery platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato, instructing delivery partners to distribute the items free of cost among students and protesters.

Pradeep Kumar Singh, a Swiggy delivery partner, told ANI that Jantar Mantar has become a frequent destination for such orders. "An order comes, and then the person says, 'Brother, distribute it right there; give it to whoever needs it.' Yesterday, I had an order for samosas. I was told to just bring them here and distribute them. No one comes to collect them," Singh said.

The support has extended beyond India's borders. Mahendra Kumar, another delivery partner, arrived at the protest site with tea that had been ordered by a customer from outside India. "I've brought this order; it was placed from outside India. They said, 'Go to Jantar Mantar and give it to the brothers.' I don't know whose it is, but they told me to give the tea to the brothers who are protesting here," Kumar told ANI.

Another delivery executive, working with Zomato and Zepto, described the initiative as "student service." Explaining the instructions he received from an anonymous sender, he said, "The sender is anonymous. They said, 'Just distribute it.' I don't know who ordered it, but I was just told to go there and hand it over. It's 'student service'; it's for the students".

Shakti Vashisth, 24, sees every food delivery as a reminder that the protest extends far beyond those camped on the streets. "There are a lot of people that I understand might not be able to come here, but they are sending their love," she told The Associated Press.

The sacle of support became so overwhelming that by around 10 pm on Tuesday, July 21, the protest site had received more food than it could reasonably handle. Recognising this, the CJP took to X with an unusual appeal. "India is such a beautiful country with such beautiful people – thanks for sending food for protesters. We are so overwhelmed. BUT for today, we have received more than enough food – please don't send any more!" the post read.

The CJP's official Instagram handle on Thursday, July 23, also shared a post saying, "We have enough food, this is what we need for true Swachh Bharat," with an attached screenshot listing gloves, brooms, water bottles and dustbins as urgent requirements.

The Indonesia Parallel: Cross-Border Digital Solidarity

A similar phenomenon unfolded in Indonesia in August 2025, when protests erupted across the country over cost-of-living woes and public frustration with the political elite. Mass demonstrations first erupted in Jakarta on August 25, and by the end of the week, protests had turned violent when a 21-year-old Gojek driver, Affan Kurniawan, was run over and killed by a police vehicle while delivering an order.

Point to note: Gojek is a leading Southeast Asian "super app" based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It operates as a multi-service platform that offers over 20 on-demand services, including ride-hailing (GoRide/GoCar), food delivery (GoFood), digital payments (GoPay), and logistics (GoSend).

What followed was a remarkable display of cross-border solidarity using food delivery platforms. People from Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand began using Grab and Gojek to order food in Indonesia for delivery riders, who were a key group taking part in the protests. The hashtag #SEAblings – a play on Southeast Asia's acronym – went viral on social media as some in neighbouring countries rallied to support Indonesian protesters and delivery riders.

Social media users posted guides on how to help; by placing food orders on Grab and Gojek in Indonesia and informing the delivery riders that they could keep the food or distribute it to their family and friends.

Tara, a 34-year-old living in the central Philippine island of Cebu, ordered food and supplies twice in Jakarta for delivery riders. She told the BBC, "I've been travelling around Southeast Asia recently, including Indonesia, and I've always used motorcycle taxis. They're always friendly. I feel like I have to help them. The only way I can do that right now is by sending food".

Taufik, a delivery rider working in West Jakarta, received one such order – a rice bowl and drinks – from an app user in Singapore. Such orders from overseas are "really helpful as orders have been quiet since the protests began. And for us, the food is even more helpful," he told the BBC.

Grab confirmed that it saw increasing orders from users outside Indonesia, particularly from Southeast and East Asia, according to Reuters.

Technology As An Enabler

The use of delivery apps in protests represents a broader trend where digital platforms are being repurposed for civic engagement. The Jantar Mantar protest saw delivery partners arriving not just with food, but with a sense of participation. Neg Singh, a motorbike courier, told AP that he had already made 19 trips to the protest site. On one run, he picked up 70 pizzas, an order so large it took three delivery riders to carry it through the crowds. The order was placed from someone in Noida city, some 25 kilometres from the protest site.

For Singh, the protest brought more than extra work. "We also feel deeply connected to this protest. We support it wholeheartedly," he said.

The digital dimension extends beyond food delivery. The CJP movement itself originated online as satire before transitioning to physical protests. Social media platforms have been used to coordinate support, share information and amplify the movement's demands.

Outlook Business reached out to Swiggy and Zomato for comment on the use of their platforms for remote solidarity and any measures taken to support delivery partners handling orders at protest sites. Neither company responded by the time of filing. This story will be updated if a response is received.

Digital Activism: A Growing Global Trend

The use of digital platforms for protest-related activities is not limited to food delivery. According to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, employees at major tech companies have used internal communication platforms such as Slack, Google+ and Workplace to organise campaigns and assess peer support for causes.

In Greece in September 2021, workers and consumers used Twitter to organise a campaign against food delivery app efood, which had demanded that workers on short-term contracts switch to freelance contracts or face unemployment. The hashtag #cancel_efood went viral on Greek Twitter, and within 48 hours, the company retracted its decision and renewed the workers' contracts.

In the United States, rideshare drivers have used cyberpicketing – online protests through social media campaigns, targeted emails and online petitions – to pressure companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash to address issues such as low wages and lack of benefits.

Notably, the use of food delivery platforms for protest support raises several considerations. Delivery partners navigate challenging conditions, protests and law enforcement actions, as seen when Delhi Police used tear gas and batons to stop protesters from marching toward Parliament.

Additionally, the overwhelming scale of support can create logistical challenges. The CJP's appeal to stop sending food highlights how digital solidarity, while powerful, can sometimes outpace on-ground capacity to manage resources.

As digital platforms continue to integrate into daily life, their role in civic engagement is likely to expand. Whether through food delivery, social media coordination or online petitions, technology is reshaping how movements organise and sustain themselves. The CJP protests may well be remembered as a watershed moment in India's digital activism landscape, where the simple act of ordering food online became a powerful statement of solidarity.