SINGAPORE: By way of an apology and to make amends for a fight over durians that broke out last week, a fruit stall owner gave out S$2,000 of free fruit.
On July 11, a brawl ensued that involved a durian being thrown from one man to another. In response, a man drew out a knife and threatened the person in the other group who threw the durian.
A video of the brawl was posted on the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page on July 13. The 2-minute and 11-second clip starts with a few men, reportedly including the stall owner, getting into each other’s faces and shouting at one another.
The fight started because a line formed outside a fruit shop blocking the way to another fruit stall near Block 964, Jurong West Street 91.
Things escalated when one man pushed another. When the man who was pushed regained his footing, he started getting aggressive, and pretty soon, others were throwing punches.
One man threw a durian at an older man clad only in black shorts. Some people nearby tried to stop the men from fighting, however, and a woman can be heard screaming for the brawling to stop.
The man in black shorts walks away from the fight, but only to get what looks like a knife. Fortunately, a younger man accompanies him and helps him calm down, and though the atmosphere remains tense, fighting does not resume.
After the fight, three men, ages 30, 52, and 58, were arrested. Two of them were brought for medical treatment. Reports say police were alerted to the incident at around 7:45 on July 11.
However, cooler heads have prevailed since then, and Shin Min Daily News reported on Monday (July 15) that a fruit and vegetable seller sought to help make things right by giving away free fruit to residents in the area.
Many residents flocked to the stall after hearing about the giveaways. They also went to take advantage of the discounts offered by Mr Lan, the stall owner.
The freebies included 2,000 kilos of durians, which the stall gave away as early as 5:00 am on Sunday (July 14). Unsurprisingly, the fruit ran out quickly and disappeared in a few hours.
Cherries, lychees, and watermelons were also among the fruit given away or discounted by Mr Lan, reports added. /TISG