A Beijing delivery rider and labour activist known as the leader of an unofficial union, was detained by authorities after posting online videos denouncing labour violations by China’s top food delivery apps, reports France24. Xiong Yan, a rider with the food delivery work services platform Ele.me, has been working in the business since 2018. But online, he’s the face and the leader of the “Delivery Knights Alliance” online group, an unofficial union that supports riders and creates online videos exposing the industry’s unscrupulous labour practices. The group was established by another leader in 2019 and counts more than 10,000 riders in its multiple WeChat groups. On January 10th, Ya posted a video about a 43-year-old delivery rider who fell and died, which led to a discussion over Ele.me’s insurance policy and subsequent revision of its policy. Yan then posted another video in which he denounced Ele.me’s New Year holiday bonus scheme for its riders. The video led to an uproar against the platform, which then issued an apology. On 25 February 25, Yan and several of his close friends were detained in Beijing for unknown reasons, however his peers have said his outspoken activism and denunciation of food delivery work services platforms may have made authorities uneasy. Several days later, food delivery riders went on protest for their wages and rights.