Over here in the United States, our town’s mayors are making news for locking up baby formula and issuing written smackdowns on controversial fast food chains. But with the serious economic crisis in Europe, one Spanish mayor is starring in headlines for going rogue and stealing from supermarkets to give food to the poor. We’ve heard this story before, somewhere…

Yes, they’re calling him Robin Hood, of course. He’s been pulling off robberies at supermarkets and handing out groceries to the needy families that have been hit hard by the economic crisis. Seven other people (the Merry Men?) were arrested for helping out in two such raids, which had supporters cheering as participants walked out of stores with carts filled with food. The mayor remained outside.

The mayor of the town of about 2,600 says he’s just doing what right — and he might as well use his political immunity as a member of regional parliament for something good. He’s even up for renouncing said immunity and going to the hoosegow himself.

“There are people who don’t have enough to eat. In the 21st century, this is an absolute disgrace,” he told Reuters in an interview held in a train station this week. Next he’s going on a three-week march to bring attention to those hardest hit by the economic crisis and rally other mayors to the cause.

His critics in the government aren’t pleased with how he’s disregarding the law, however.

“You can’t be Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham,” said a spokesman for the ruling People’s Party in the national Parliament. “This man is just searching for publicity at the cost of everyone else.”

“Robin hood” Spanish mayor becomes hero for robbing supermarkets [Reuters]

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