On February 3, thieves disguised as Robin Hood stormed a food store in Montreal and distributed the stolen goods to people in protest against rising food prices. This incident came just weeks after the same group targeted another store, disguised as Santa Claus and his helpers. An activist group calling itself "Robin Hood of the Alleys" stated that about 60 people, some wearing feathered caps like Robin Hood, stormed a health food store on Rachel Perry, took food items without paying, and then redistributed them to "many community fridges in the city," which the organization described as a "political act" against food price inflation. This robbery follows a similar incident in December when members of the same group, disguised as Santa Claus and his attendants, stormed a Montreal grocery store, stole food items, and left some wrapped as gifts under a nearby Christmas tree. The cost of living is a major issue in Canada, where inflation rose by 4.7% between November 2024 and 2025, more than double the general inflation rate, according to CBC, CNN's Canadian media partner. A statement from the "Robin Hood des Rues" organization quoted one of its members, Francis, as saying: "We work tirelessly every day just to be able to buy food from those big stores driven by profit." A video edited and posted by the activist group "Les Souffleurs du Fleuve" shows the raid on the Rachel Perry store, interspersed with clips from the 1938 film "The Adventures of Robin Hood." In the video, masked individuals walk through the store's aisles, taking food, medicine, soap, and other items. At the end of the video, a person sprayed the phrase "Down with profits" on a brick wall. Jean-Pierre Brabant, media relations officer for the Montreal police, told CNN that the police opened an investigation into the theft and the graffiti the next day. Brabant confirmed that no one was injured during the incident and that no arrests have been made so far. Brabant added, "Regarding the value of the money or stolen goods, we do not have specific information." However, he estimated it at "thousands of dollars." As for the December robbery, which had a Christmas theme, Brabant said it "is still under investigation," but no one has been arrested. During the incident, others also used spray paint to obscure surveillance cameras inside and outside the store.
