Thieves Dressed As Robin Hood Raid Montreal Food Store

“Thieves dressed as Robin Hood raid Montreal food store give away stolen goods in protest against rising food price Rachelle Béry grocery store, Mile-End/Plateau-Mont-Royal area, Montreal, Canada.
A group of about 60 people, part of an activist collective calling themselves Robins des Ruelles (“Robins of the Alleys”), entered a Rachelle Béry health food store without paying for items.
Some participants wore Robin Hood-style feathered caps and masks.They took food, soap, medicine and other items and distributed the stolen goods for free mainly placing them in community fridges and outside subsidized housing units across the city.The activists described the raid as a political act against rising food prices and supermarket profiteering.
In a statement shared by the group, a member said:
They argue corporate grocery chains are making staple foods increasingly unaffordable for many Canadians.
A video published by local activist organization Les Soulèvements du Fleuve on Instagram shows participants maneuvering through aisles, grabbing goods and obstructing security cameras
The footage was edited alongside clips from the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood. Profits and “steal from a thief” were reportedly spray-painted on walls during or after the incident.
Montreal Police confirmed they have opened an investigation into the theft and graffiti.No arrests have been made as of the latest updates, and no injuries were reported.
Police are reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with potential witnesses. Just weeks earlier in December 2025, the same group reportedly entered another Montreal grocery store dressed as Santa Claus and his elves, stole food and left part of it under a public Christmas tree and at community fridges.
That earlier incident involved roughly $3,000 CAD worth of food, according to local reports.Police are also still investigating that event with no arrests made so far.
Food price inflation in Canada has been rising faster than overall inflation; official data showed food prices up about 4.7 % between November 2024 and 2025, outpacing general inflation.
Economic pressures have made meals increasingly expensive for many households, especially in metropolitan areas.
The stunt blends criminal theft with political demonstration, highlighting growing frustration over cost-of-living and food affordability issues. It has drawn mixed reactions: some see it as protest art or civil disobedience; others call it criminality regardless of message. Authorities face pressure to balance enforcement with public sensitivity to social protests tied to economic hardship.