Masked Santas, elves rob Canadian grocery store to donate to those in need
A group of masked Santa and elf impersonators allegedly robbed a grocery store in Canada in a Robin Hood-inspired protest against big corporations.
Montreal police spokesperson Johany Charland told Daily Hive that the alleged shoplifting incident occurred on Monday, Dec. 15, at around 9:40 p.m. at a grocery store on Laurier Avenue near Chambord Street in the city’s Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood.
“The suspects were wearing medical masks so that people wouldn’t be able to see them,” stated Charland. “They were disguised as Santa Claus and elves.”
Activist organization Les Soulèvements du flueve shared a video of Robin des Ruelles (Robins of the alleys) — the group claiming responsibility for the alleged theft — on Instagram on Thursday.
It shows several Santa Clauses and a large group of elves wearing masks and backpacks filing into a Metro, a major grocery chain in Canada, and filling up bags with food without paying for it.
@soulevementsdufleuve/Instagram
Charland said Montreal police are currently investigating a theft under $5,000 at the store. As of Friday, no arrests have been made.
According to Les Soulèvements du flueve’s Instagram post, Robin des Ruelles placed the groceries under a tree at Place Valois in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood.
“A handful of businesses are holding our vital needs hostage,” reads a translated statement from Robin des Ruelles shared on the Instagram post. “They continue to oppress the population, to siphon off as much money as possible, simply because they can. For us, this is what stealing is, and it’s they who are the bandits.”
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Grocery chain responds
In an email statement to Daily Hive, Metro spokesperson Geneviève Grégoire stressed that retail crime is on the rise and that “no matter the reason, it is unacceptable and a criminal act.”
“In response to the accusations made by the group claiming responsibility for Monday night’s theft targeting food companies, it should be noted that as a retailer, we are the final stop in the supply chain,” stated Grégoire.
She added that many factors influence food inflation, including disruptions in the global supply chain, volatility in commodity prices, changes in international trade conditions, and retail crime.
“The prices on store shelves directly reflect the costs of the supply chain,” she said.
The grocer said it has donated $8.6 million in corporate donations, including $1.15 million dollars to food banks, while also providing $81.6 million worth of food products.
In another post, Les Soulèvements du flueve claimed that the salary of the president and CEO of Metro, Eric La Flèche, is about $6.1 million.
“Businesses are profiteers; it’s up to us to take back our livelihoods!” reads the translated post.
In 2023, La Flèche defended his then-$5.4-million salary, insisting that it was “normal.”
This isn’t the first time Canadians have protested a major grocer. In May 2024, thousands of shoppers boycotted Loblaw in protest of soaring grocery prices.
What do you think about seeing these Santa Clauses allegedly steal from a major corporation in Canada? Let us know in the comments.