What happened Monday night was nothing short of extraordinary in the city of Montreal. This gang of deep disrupters, self identifying as the Robins of the Alleys had the audacity to shoplift groceries – successfully! The theft occurred around 9:40 p.m., according to Johany Charland, a spokesperson for the Montreal Police. In the wake of this peculiar caper, our national conversation is now focused on food access and why people steal groceries in the first place.
The collective says that they have “redistributed” the stolen objects. They assumed for the most part that these items were food, and they’re distributing them to people in need in their communities. Witnesses said they saw groceries dropped off under a tree in a neighboring community. In the interim, many of those items have made their way into community fridges to help serve those residents facing increased food insecurity.
Johany Charland, a spokesperson for the police, told CNN that police are not allowed to speculate on the activists’ intentions. At the press conference, he reiterated that the investigation is very much active. Police are in the process of reviewing any camera footage from inside the store. They’re interviewing other witnesses to find out more about what happened.
Grégoire, a local economist, gave us his insights on the broader economic implications of these kinds of thefts. He stressed that various factors are behind food inflation. “Many factors influence food inflation, including disruptions in the global supply chain, volatility in commodity prices, changes in international trade conditions, and retail crime,” Grégoire stated. He added that “The prices on store shelves directly reflect the costs of the supply chain.”
This tragic occurrence takes place as food prices soar and the urban food desert issue becomes more apparent and urgent. The grocery store chain involved has previously contributed millions of dollars to charitable causes, raising eyebrows about the motivations of the “Robins of the Alleys.”
Les Soulèvements du Fleuve, a local activist group, expressed solidarity with the heist’s claims, stating, “A handful of businesses are holding our vital needs hostage.” Their testimony indicates that people are increasingly frustrated with escalating costs and inadequate access to basic needs for a large portion of their communities.
As police work to find out more about what happened, the Boston community is still split on the needs of the incident. Many view it instead as a shortsighted, last-gasp state move prompted by their own economic desperation. Others are scathing about the group’s tactics.
