In a festive yet brazen act of protest, a large group of individuals dressed as Santa Claus and masked elves have carried out a coordinated theft at a Montreal supermarket, making off with thousands of pounds worth of groceries.
The Festive Heist
The incident occurred late on Monday, when roughly 40 members of a group calling itself Robins des Ruelles (Robins of the Alleys) marched into the store. Clad in full red Santa suits, they proceeded to fill bags with food before disappearing into the night. Video footage of the event, shared on social media, shows the surreal scene of the festive bandits in action.
Days later, on Thursday, the group claimed responsibility in a statement titled "When hunger justifies the means". They declared the stolen food would be given to those in need, framing the act as a Robin Hood-style stunt designed to spotlight Canada's severe cost of living crisis.
A Protest Against 'Record Profits'
The group's manifesto directly attacks major supermarket chains, accusing them of exploiting inflation. "We are working more and more just to be able to buy food from supermarket chains that take advantage of inflation as a pretext to make record profits," the statement read. It further argued that "a handful of companies are holding our basic needs hostage."
The retail sector, however, pushes back on such claims. A spokesperson for Metro, which owns eight major grocery brands in Ontario and Quebec, stated that shoplifting is a criminal act and unacceptable. Geneviève Grégoire cited global supply chain issues and commodity price volatility as drivers of inflation, and notably included retail crime as a contributing factor.
Grégoire emphasised that Metro donated $1.15m and over $81m in food products to banks in 2025, and that shelf prices directly reflect supply chain costs. This defence comes as three companies control most of Canada's grocery market, reporting near-record earnings amidst public and government concern over profiteering.
The Aftermath and Wider Context
Following the theft, the Robins des Ruelles deposited some groceries at a public square under a Christmas tree on Tuesday evening, promising the rest would go to community food banks. Their final message: "Don't forget – the hunger justifies the means. Merry Christmas!"
Montreal police confirmed they are investigating the theft, but no arrests have been made. The incident underscores a growing problem; the Retail Council of Canada reports retail crime cost over $9bn in lost sales in 2024 and is rising.
This theatrical protest vividly illustrates the deepening frustration over food affordability. It poses stark questions about corporate responsibility, the social impact of inflation, and the lengths to which some will go to demand change.
