A group of activists dressed as the legendary Robin Hood broke into a Montreal grocery store on Tuesday evening, taking products without paying for them and distributing them to the city’s community refrigerators, in a protest against rising food prices in Canada. An organization calling itself Robins des Ruelles (“Robins of the Alleys”) claimed responsibility for the action, which said about 60 people, some wearing hats resembling the folk hero, entered a grocery store, took food and other items and distributed them to several community refrigerators in the city. The group said the action was a “political act” aimed at denouncing food insecurity and the rising cost of living.
The incident was not the first of its kind. In December, members of the same group had forced their way into another Montreal grocery store, dressed as Santa Claus and elves, taking groceries and leaving them wrapped as “gifts” under a nearby Christmas tree. The rising cost of living remains a major concern in Canada. According to data reported by the Canadian network CBC, food prices rose by 4.7 percent between November 2024 and 2025, more than double the overall rate of inflation.
In a public statement, the group quoted a member named Francis as saying that many people work every day just to be able to buy food from highly profitable supermarkets. He added that when two jobs are not enough to provide food, shelter and care for a family, any means are seen as justifiable. A video posted on Instagram by the activist group Les Soulèvements du Fleuve shows footage of the occupation of the Rachelle Béry store, where people wearing masks are seen moving through the aisles, taking food, medicine, hygiene products and other items, while some cover the security cameras inside and outside the store. At the end of the video, a slogan against corporate profits is written on a wall. Sobeys, the owner of the Rachelle Béry chain, has not yet commented on the incident.
Montreal Police spokesman Jean-Pierre Brabant confirmed that authorities have opened an investigation into the theft and graffiti. He said there were no injuries and no arrests have been made so far. The exact value of the stolen items is not yet known, but is estimated to be in the thousands of dollars. According to police, the items taken have not yet been recovered, while a similar incident in December remains under investigation.
