Camera operator fired after videos show her 'tripping and kicking' refugees in Hungarian village of Roszke
Petra László has been dismissed from N1TV
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A camera operator for a Hungarian TV station with links to the right-wing Jobbik party has been fired, after she was filmed appearing to kick and trip refugees running from police officers on the border hotspot of Rőszke.
Footage of the frantic scene shows refugees screaming and fleeing across a field as officers chase after them.
As a man clutching a young child runs past N1TV camera operator Petra László, she appears to put her leg out in front of the pair, causing them to trip over.
The man then shouts at Ms László in apparent disbelief.
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The clip of the incident was shared on Twitter by Stephan Richter, a reporter for the German television channel RTL, and was retweeted over 1,000 times.
In a separate video of the scene at Rőszke published by the Index Hungarian news website, Ms László appears to kick refugee children.
A Facebook group condemning Ms László called The Petra László Wall of Shame has since been created in the hours following the incident.
N1TV has since confirmed that it has dismissed Ms László due to “unacceptable behaviour”.
The channel’s editor in chief Szabolcs Kisberk said in a statement posted on the station’s website see by The Guardian: “The camerawoman’s employment has today been terminated with immediate effect, the case is now closed for us.”
In response to the videos, the Együtt-PM and the Democratic Forum opposition parties have pledged to initiate charges of violence against a member of the community against Ms László, according to The Guardain. If found guilty, Ms László could spend five years in prison.
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