Hungarian camerawoman sacked for ‘unacceptable’ behaviour toward refugees

Petra Laszlo, camerawoman for nationalist Hungarian T.V. station N1TV, has been sacked after she was captured in a video kicking refugee children and a man, who were trying to escape a police line. The video of the camerawoman was taken by German journalist Stephan Richter and posted on Twitter on Tuesday night.

The video shows Laszlo suddenly coming in the way of a man carrying a small child as they escape the police. She is seen sticking out her leg, causing the man to trip, while she continues to film him. In another footage, she was caught kicking refugee children who were running past her.

While Richter filmed the first video, the Hungarian news website Index has reportedly posted the second video of her kicking two children fleeing the police. The video clips, which are only a few seconds long, have gone viral on the Internet and shocked viewers. Thousands have raised protests against the act of the camera woman.

"She is insane! Why is she still walking around like nothing happened?" Rosa Melyna Ibarra Melgarejo posted on the Facebook page “The Petra László Wall of Shame”. "She is going against humanity! That is the worst sin!!"

The footage taken by Laszlo was later shown on N1TV. Szabolcs Kisberk, the editor-in-chief of the channel, said Laszo’s behaviour was unacceptable.

"An N1TV colleague today behaved in an unacceptable way at the Roszke collection point," a statement posted on the channel's Facebook page later said. "The camerawoman's employment contract has been terminated with immediate effect as of today, we consider the matter closed."

The refugees were flocking at the Hungarian border to enter Europe in a bid to escape war torn Syria. Millions of Syrians have been displaced and forced to leave their homes due to the civil war that has ensued in their home town.

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