Montreal activists steal $3,000 in food to protest inflation and corporate greed
Posted December 18, 2025 9:41 am.
Last Updated December 18, 2025 2:09 pm.
A group of activists, calling themselves the “Robins des Ruelles,” raided a Metro grocery store Monday night, stealing $3,000 worth of food.
Dressed as Santa Clauses and elves, the group of three said the act was a protest against soaring food prices and corporate profit margins.
In their press release, the group says: “We are working more and more, just to be able to buy food in supermarket chains that take advantage of the pretext of inflation to make “record” profits. Rents, food, and the prices of all necessities are artificially inflated by the big capitalist landlords. There is no other way to put it: a handful of companies hold our vital needs hostage. It continues to suffocate the population, to siphon off as much money as possible, simply because it can. For us, that’s what is theft and they are the bandits.”
The groceries were later distributed to the community in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, under a Christmas tree, as a symbolic gesture.
In a statement, the group accused large grocery chains of exploiting inflation to maximize profits while workers and families struggle to make ends meet.
The protest comes amid rising food insecurity in Quebec, with experts warning that grocery bills will continue to climb in 2026.
Montreal police say they are investigating a theft under $5,000 at the Montreal grocery store, adding that no arrests have been made.
