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

Failures

from the horrible-people dept

Wed, Oct 21st 2015 11:44am — Karl Bode

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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Filed Under: free speech, hungary, lawsuit, migrants, osam abdul mohsen, pertra laszlo, refugees, syria
Companies: facebook

46 Comments

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Baron von Robber, 21 Oct 2015 @ 11:48am

She suing because now she won't have a tryout with Manchester United!
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 11:52am

It's pretty damn obvious she tripped them so the border patrol or whoever those are can catch them.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 11:53am

There are other things more important to consider
Like what to have for lunch.
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william (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 11:55am

Yes, let's dig a deeper hole to China by helping the new outlets generate a whole bunch of new stories that will include the infamous scene!

What a plan!
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Oblate (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 11:55am

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.
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lucidrenegade (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 12:05pm

Dat woman be trippin
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Anon E. Mous (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 12:17pm

Someone tell her that she is a perfect candidate for a PR job at Rightscorp or Suburban Express.

I sense there is a lot of synergy's where she'd fit right in at either organisation.
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radix (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 12:18pm

Re:
The Laszlo Effect somehow manages to be even worse than the Streisand.
Not only is the offender calling more attention to something unintentionally, that thing they were trying to hide in the first place is what a massive piece of shit they are.
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PlagueSD (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 12:32pm

That just goes to show you. It's not just the United States that is full of assholes. They're everywhere.
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wereisjessicahyde (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 12:37pm

Petra Laszlo who it should be noted was working for an ultranationalist online TV channel called N1TV at the time has put out an official statement.

"I’m not a heartless, racist, children-kicking camerawoman" said the heartless, racist, children-kicking camerawoman.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 1:00pm

Re:
>Clearly she's a lovely, caring child-kicking camerawoman, since the childkicking part isn't really up for debate anymore.
-Paraphrasing John Oliver
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 1:08pm

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!
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 1:34pm

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.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 1:46pm

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?
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 1:50pm

Taking bets on how long before she makes Google forget her
How long before searches for "Petra Laszlo" turn up nothing thanks to Europe's "right to be forgotten"? Now you can be an asshole and make others forget about it.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 2:12pm

[i]"My husband wants to prove my innocence. For him, it is now a matter of honor. It is now a matter of honor."[/i]
Your husband should have "fired" you too! And saying "it is now a matter of honor" twice doesn't make it any more right, you @#$%^&* bleep!!
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OldMugwump (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 2:15pm

Re: It seems that those who are most concerned about their honor are those who have none.
That often seems to be the case.

Up next: Her right to be "forgotten".
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 2:20pm

Re:
Oops
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David, 21 Oct 2015 @ 2:31pm

Matter of honor?
Man, the entitlement syndrome some people have. Nothing short of amazing.
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Zonker, 21 Oct 2015 @ 2:41pm

Re:
"I’m not a heartless, racist, children-kicking camerawoman"
Correct, now she is just a heartless, racist, children-kicking ex-camerawoman. She was fired.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 3:11pm

reminds me of a man who hit and killed a cyclist then sued the boy's family for the damages the bike caused to the car as the body and bike were dragged along the road.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/01/30/spain.luxury.car/
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 3:20pm

Think of the children.
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connermac725 (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 4:50pm

Not too Bright
I think she may have forgotten the saying a picture/video is worth a thousand words.
not much of a camera woman is she soccer might be more her thing
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JoeCool (profile), 21 Oct 2015 @ 5:35pm

Re: Re:
She's still a camerawoman, just an unemployed one.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 6:20pm

I wasn't tripping them I was teaching them the hokey pokey, that's what it's all about!
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 7:48pm

does she have a prodigious honker and sings good?
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 9:10pm

When the World Runs Past You
Come on.....she was just trying to catch one to interview.8p
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 10:01pm

Petra Laszlo seems to be targeting kids. Why doesn't she pick on someone her own size. Despicable!
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amnesiac, 21 Oct 2015 @ 10:05pm

Re: Re: It seems that those who are most concerned about their honor are those who have none.
Let's do that to all extents possible.
That would include existing in the first place.
Have her erased from every video feed and database.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 11:14pm

arguably one of the worst people currently on the planet

I know you're trying to be hyperbolic, and I certainly have no love for the woman, but this is frankly ridiculous.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Oct 2015 @ 11:16pm

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.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Oct 2015 @ 12:08am

Re:
You forgot to mention how the photos showing her leg making contact with their bodies were photoshopped

Though of course you might want to take out how its justified to kick people surrounding you in an "angry violent crowd" if your going with the defense she never kicked anyone
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Oct 2015 @ 1:55am

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.
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Unknown, 22 Oct 2015 @ 4:30am

Re:
You clearly need some chocolate or a chill pill.

You can say all the excuses in the world to justify her actions but bottom line she made a wrong move and needs to own it, apologise and move on. Her actions have gone from pathetic and disgusting to cowardice. Where's the honor in that????????
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wereisjessicahyde (profile), 22 Oct 2015 @ 4:36am

Re:
She did definitely kick the other small girl.
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Just Another Anonymous Troll, 22 Oct 2015 @ 4:57am

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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Wendy Cockcroft, 22 Oct 2015 @ 5:42am

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.
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John Fenderson (profile), 22 Oct 2015 @ 6:04am

Re:
"Are you an asshole if you make some kind of feeble half hearted attempt to stop some of those people in the mob"

In this situation, yes.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Oct 2015 @ 6:45am

With people like this, we as a species should simply place them in rockets and fire them at the sun.
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kP (profile), 22 Oct 2015 @ 7:48am

Christ, what an asshole
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Oct 2015 @ 7:53am

Re: Re: Re:
Doesn't matter if you disagree with it. Fact is you don't interfere with what you're observing unless it's a matter of life and death. One of the most basic rules in the industry.
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nasch (profile), 22 Oct 2015 @ 9:19am

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?
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Uriel-238 (profile), 22 Oct 2015 @ 11:21am

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.
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Schmorgluck (profile), 22 Oct 2015 @ 1:11pm

Re: Taking bets on how long before she makes Google forget her
Ten years, at the very least. And it still can be brought up later if it turns out to have a relevance to public interest.
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Robert (profile), 23 Oct 2015 @ 10:42am

Jail the camera woman
I think that her country should jail her for 1 day and then revoke her citizenship and throw her out of their country for bringing shame to her nation
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Oct 2015 @ 3:25pm

Re: Re:
till someone more risible comes along.

And I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for those meddling kids
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