Monks from Sri Krishna Mandir temple set up fundraising spots along Waterloo Street, outside the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple during the Lunar New Year period, alongside existing tissue sellers in the area.
The tissue sellers confronted the monks with verbal abuse, particularly when members of the public made donations to the monks, according to Shin Min Daily News.
Physical confrontations occurred between both groups. A witness told Shin Min that a tissue seller struck a monk with a stick. The conflicts started on the first day of Chinese New Year.
Police increased their patrol frequency in the area during mornings and afternoons in response to the situation.
A tissue seller reported to Shin Min that the monks arrived at 5am daily to secure spots. She attempted to remove them physically and stated plans to throw flour at them.
Another tissue seller claimed the monks moved his chair to take better positions. He reported his daily earnings dropped from $300-400 to $200 during this period.
A Sri Krishna Mandir Temple representative stated they were a registered institution conducting island-wide fundraising activities throughout the year. He reported that a tissue seller threatened monks with scissors and warned about splashing urine at them.
The tissue seller has denied these allegations.
