A group of masked thieves dressed as Santa Claus and his elves was caught on camera storming a Montreal grocery store and carting off piles of food, according to local reports.
Montreal police said several “masked and disguised individuals” entered a Metro store around 9:15 p.m. on Monday and began grabbing items from the shelves. On social media, a Robin Hood-style activist group called Robins des ruelles — or Robins of the Alleys — claimed responsibility for the holiday-themed heist.
The stolen goods, valued at roughly $3,000, were redistributed under a Christmas tree in a local neighborhood, with leftovers placed in community fridges around the city. The group described the spree as a “great food drive,” saying that supermarket chains were unfairly raising prices despite record profits.
“A handful of corporations are holding our basic needs hostage. They continue to exploit the population, siphoning off as much money as possible, simply because they can. For us, that’s what constitutes theft, and they are the real bandits,” the group wrote in a statement on Instagram, under the page Les soulèvements du fleuve.
Reaction online has been largely supportive, but Metro reminded the public that theft, regardless of intent, is a criminal act. Spokesperson Geneviève Grégoire also highlighted the company’s charitable efforts in 2025, including $1.15 million in food bank donations and millions of dollars’ worth of other food contributions.
Police are reviewing security footage, and no arrests have been made.