Hungarian Camera Woman Filmed Tripping Refugees Plans To Sue Facebook, Refugee She Tripped

from the horrible-people dept

You probably recall that during the recent and ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, Petra Laszlo, a camera woman for Hungarian news outlet N1, was recorded tripping refugees and kicking their children as they ran for their lives across the Hungarian border. Laszlo was ultimately fired by her employer, and initially “apologized” for her behavior by trying to claim that she wasn’t an unnecessarily angry racist, she simply tripped and kicked refugees because she thought she was being attacked:

“The camera was shooting, hundreds of migrants broke through the police cordon, one of them rushed to me and I was scared,? she wrote. Then something snapped in me ? I just thought that I was attacked and I have to protect myself. It?s hard to make good decisions at a time when people are in a panic.”

Except in this new video-crazed era, we’re all simply more accountable, and all of the photos and videos taken of her that day pretty clearly show her being an absolutely legendary, insufferable asshole:

Apparently not content to quietly go down in history as arguably one of the worst people currently on the planet, Laszlo has now declared that she intends to file two lawsuits once her trial is over (Hungarian authorities have taken her to court for disturbing the peace). Laszlo says one lawsuit will be filed against Facebook for failing to take down the oceans of well-deserved criticism she received after the incident, and one will be filed against the refugee she kicked who has since started a new life in Italy:

“Laszlo told Izvestia that she plans to sue Facebook for allegedly refusing to remove threatening groups on the site while deleting groups that supported her. She has also directed her anger towards Osama Abdul Mohsen, one of the Syrian refugees she kicked, and says she plans to sue him. “He changed his testimony, because he initially blamed the police,” Laszlo said, though she can be clearly seen in two different videos kicking him. “My husband wants to prove my innocence. For him, it is now a matter of honor. It is now a matter of honor.”

And really, what’s more honorable than kicking and tripping children, then suing their families for good measure?

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Comments on “Hungarian Camera Woman Filmed Tripping Refugees Plans To Sue Facebook, Refugee She Tripped”

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46 Comments
Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

“It’s pretty damn obvious she tripped them so the border patrol or whoever those are can catch them.”

Journalists and their camerapeople should be passive observers only. It’s not their job to interfere.

And it’s still an asshole thing to do to people trying to escape a shitty situation.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re:

Journalists and their camerapeople should be passive observers only. It’s not their job to interfere.

I would disagree with that. Not to defend this woman’s actions; I just disagree with that sentiment in general.

It’s not like journalists even try to write unbiased stories in the first place, so why should their actions have to follow a strict neutrality?

Uriel-238 (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re: It's actually policy for a matter of protection.

Journalists don’t interfere as worldwide policy so that their brethren in hot zones don’t get shot at.

(Some do anyway, but that’s regarded as war crime or friendly fire)

Once they do interfere, that means they’ve taken sides, and become a target. The policy is supposed to remove all doubt.

Hence this correspondent’s dismissal.

Oblate (profile) says:

Yeah, good luck with that...

I think the video of her tripping refugees is going to trip up her chances of winning any lawsuits.

Thinking that she has any case here, she gives new meaning to the term ‘she must be tripping’.

That bit about her honor- wow. It seems that those who are most concerned about their honor are those who have none.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Yeah, good luck with that...

Well, I can see why in this case: She lost her job on account of her actions and since the documentation is clear she cannot escape it. In other words she fears for her own future and is lashing out.

Her way of trying to defend her actions are to blame emotion, but then her filing has a defence of ultranationalists and others who may support what she did. She is mostly an ecco of what most other countries are concerned about Hungarian politics for: A deeply seeded dream of past glory and a desperation to restore it!

Wendy Cockcroft says:

Re: Re:

Innocence? She kicked and tripped other people. What is she supposed to be innocent of?

If she wants a better future she needs to admit what she did, accept it was wrong, apologise, and behave in a manner befitting the reputation she would rather have. As it is I think we’ve got a new Carreon here, and we’ll laugh at her efforts to rewrite history recorded in glorious technicolour till someone more risible comes along.

nasch (profile) says:

Re: Re:

I know you’re trying to be hyperbolic, and I certainly have no love for the woman, but this is frankly ridiculous.

The beginning and end of your sentence don’t go well together. You understand hyperbole and know that this is an example of it… but it’s too hyperbolic? If it’s not meant to be taken literally, why does it matter how far divorced from reality it is?

Anonymous Coward says:

Fuck you. If you look at the video or any other angle you can see she didnt touched him. Even the media reports it as “tried to trip” these days so stop pushing this shit.

Welcome to Europe, where you can get away with all the hate and death threats if you include a single frame that pushes your agenda.
So fuck you for supporting this hate machine.

Trying to claim? She was surrounded by an angry, violent crowd. Sure kicking people is bad but you think she deserves to be harrased like this? One of her relatives died because of the continuous harrasment.

Ran for their life!!!
Because so fucking many migrants died in hungary right? This shit is disgusting. Social “justice” at its best.

Fuck you techdirt.

Anonymous Coward says:

Yes,a few points need to made. Sadly it just feels wrong somehow sticking up for this woman but…….these were not people running for their lives. Is it some kind of human right to live where ever you want??? Not that I know of. If you see a mob of people breaking the law are you oblugated to just stand and watch?? Are you an asshole if you make some kind of feeble half hearted attempt to stop some of those people in the mob….criminals,if we’re being honest,from breaking the law??? Have these people ever heard of the Berlin Wall? People were shot on site for doing what they are doing. You cant just cause a riot, and blast your way past police (using your kids as a shield) because you think you can go anywhere you want. The reason why they are fleeing their country is because no one is sticking around to make it better.Sounds like the amount of refugees that have bailed for Europe would be equal to an army five times the size of ISIS. If they stuck around and put as much work into fixing their own country, they wouldnt have to be looking for greener pastures in Europe.

Just Another Anonymous Troll says:

Re: Re:

these were not people running for their lives.
The fleeing refugees were not running for their lives as they fled persecution and worse. Let that sink in for a moment.

Have these people ever heard of the Berlin Wall? People were shot on site for doing what they are doing.
Did you seriously just defend her actions by comparing them to those of a repressive dictatorship? In case you didn’t notice, we live in a democracy where we don’t kill you on sight for trying to improve your situation.

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