A group asserts that they have taken food from Marks & Spencer as a way to protest the rising cost of living crisis.
Activists from Everybody Eats, an organization that promotes direct action on food poverty in the UK, shared on social media about stealing groceries from the supermarket’s food hall in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester.
The items were later given to food banks in the area, and some of the activists were dressed as Robin Hood.
No arrests have been reported, but Greater Manchester Police are aware that a shoplifting incident allegedly occurred in the area around 1.40pm on April 14.
Campaigners reportedly state that they also plan to steal from other chains, and threaten to use the same tactics ‘across the country’ until the government makes concessions on food security.
Recent data from the Trussell Trust, a charitable NGO addressing hunger in the UK, suggests that over three million people in the UK utilized food banks between 2022 and 2023.
According to The Telegraph, Everybody Eats stated that the food banks aware of the origin of the stolen groceries.
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The group apparently shared a photo on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption: ‘Today we took food from an M&S in Manchester without paying for it.
‘The food will now be distributed straight to people in the community as well as local food banks.
‘We cannot sit by as we and our friends, our families, our neighbours starve.’
Additional footage shows the activists going into the supermarket to fill bags with olive oil, bread, cereal, oat milk and other items.
They then seemed to leave with the baskets and unload the goods without any intervention from security or shop employees.
One of the group can be heard saying: ‘What we do is we go into major supermarkets and liberate food essentials to distribute to food banks and those living in the area who are in food poverty.
‘We’ve been asked by food banks for their help. It is the right thing to do – people are hungry in the land of plenty, and I think that’s obscene.’
M&S confirmed it has reported the incident to the police.
