Thessaloniki, Greece - Greek anarchists raided a supermarket in the northern port city of Thessaloniki and handed out food for free in protest soaring consumer prices, reports said Friday.

About 50 unarmed robbers loaded up trolleys with pasta, milk and other products before storming out of the store without paying, shouting slogans against recent price hikes.

The masked gang then began distributing the stolen goods to people in the street, imitating a spate of similar robberies in grocery stores across Athens during the summer.

The robbers, most of them believed to be women, have never stolen money or hurt anyone in their actions.

Police have made no arrests. The robbery occurred in the same city where Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is due to give an annual speech on the state of the country's economy over the weekend.

The rising cost of living, namely food prices, has replaced unemployment as the main concern of most Greeks.

Inflation is running at 4.9 per cent, a 10-year-high, and more than 2 million people, or 21 per cent of the population, are reported to be living below the poverty line. One in two people earn less than 1,250 euros a month. (dpa)