Montreal activists stage ‘Robin Hood’ grocery raid (Full Transcript)

Masked group steals groceries to protest rising prices, claims goods were redistributed; police investigate as food inflation remains a major issue.
Download Transcript (DOCX)
Speakers
add Add new speaker

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: New footage from a Canadian activist group shows masked thieves, some dressed in Robin Hood-style caps, flooding in from the snowy streets of Montreal to the aisles of this grocery store, and stuffing food, wine, and other items in bags as a protest against high prices in Canada. The group, called the Robins of the Alleys, claims inspiration from Robin Hood, who according to legend stole from the rich to give to the poor. They say they distributed the stolen food to community fridges in Montreal, leaving some in front of a subsidized housing complex. The group called its theft a political act, with one member declaring that every means become legitimate when, quote, having two jobs is not enough to afford life's basic necessities. In case their point wasn't clear enough, members sprayed this message in French on the side of the store, steal from a thief. Cost of food is a major issue in Canada, with government data showing food inflation rose 6.2% year over year between December 2024 and December 2025. But this isn't the first time the Robins have led a raid like this. Back in December, members dressed as Santa Claus and his elves, stealing food in a similar caper before leaving some of the spoils gift-wrapped under a nearby Christmas tree. In a post on Instagram at the time, they declared, a handful of businesses are holding our vital needs hostage. For us, this is theft, and they are the thieves. CNN has reached out to the store's parent company for comment. Montreal's police department told CNN that both heists are under investigation.

ai AI Insights
Arow Summary
A Canadian activist group, the “Robins of the Alleys,” carried out a masked raid on a Montreal grocery store, stealing food, wine, and other goods to protest high food prices and what they describe as corporate profiteering. They claim the action was political, saying they redistributed the stolen items to community fridges and left some outside subsidized housing, and sprayed a message on the store reading “steal from a thief.” The group has done similar actions before, including a December raid with members dressed as Santa and elves. Food inflation in Canada is cited as a backdrop (6.2% year over year from Dec. 2024 to Dec. 2025). Police say both incidents are under investigation, and CNN sought comment from the store’s parent company.
Arow Title
Robin Hood-style activists raid Montreal grocery store
Arow Keywords
Montreal Remove
Robins of the Alleys Remove
grocery store theft Remove
activism Remove
food inflation Remove
cost of living Remove
community fridges Remove
Canada Remove
protest Remove
police investigation Remove
Arow Key Takeaways
  • An activist group in Montreal claims responsibility for organized grocery store thefts as a protest against high food prices.
  • The group says it redistributed stolen goods via community fridges and to subsidized housing areas.
  • They frame the actions as political, accusing businesses of ‘holding vital needs hostage.’
  • Canadian food inflation is cited as a key context (6.2% YoY Dec 2024–Dec 2025).
  • Montreal police are investigating both the recent raid and a similar December incident; the store’s parent company has been contacted for comment.
Arow Sentiments
Neutral: The narration is largely factual and reportorial, describing the activists’ claims and actions alongside official data and police investigation status, with limited emotive language beyond quoted justifications.
Arow Enter your query
{{ secondsToHumanTime(time) }}
Back
Forward
{{ Math.round(speed * 100) / 100 }}x
{{ secondsToHumanTime(duration) }}
close
New speaker
Add speaker
close
Edit speaker
Save changes
close
Share Transcript