Hungarian police have opened fire with tear gas against 1500 rioting migrants who are attempting to break through the country’s border fence. Migrants have been chanting “Allah hu Akbar” while pelting police officers with missiles including “really big rocks”, bottles, and even food, leading to the crack down. The news follows Hungary’s state of emergency declared yesterday.
The Hungarian crack down followed the suspension of the Schengen free movement area by Germany and Austria this weekend. It became clear to German authorities that a significant number of the migrants they were processing were not in fact refugees from Syria. Germany’s local authorities have also complained that they were overwhelmed by the influx of people, and were not about to process or house them effectively.
Reuters reports that Serbia says it has been informed by Hungary that the Roszke-Horgos border crossing will be closed for the next 30 days, and that Hungarian humvees with mounted guns are moving towards the Serbia border.
[Happening Now] #Refugees clash with police at Hungary’s border. #Roszke #Horgos http://t.co/utNCFV4ZO6
— euronews (@euronews) September 16, 2015
There are reports that some migrants have managed to break through the border fence, and Hungarian police have begun to use the water cannon to deter the rioting migrants, dozens of whom are climbing onto local buildings, hurling rocks at the border police, while others find more ammunition and keep a constantly supply going. One Sky News correspondent reluctantly reported this afternoon that most of the migrants, “about 70 per cent” were men. “There are families too,” he hastily added.
The pro-migration charity Save The Children appeared to dispute the United Nations’ own statistics, claiming that most of those involved were not in fact men.
EXTRAORDINARY: “I would not say its mostly men” says @uenumafi of @SavetheChildren. HELLO!? Time to boycott STC. pic.twitter.com/arkxDZ0wgI
— Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) September 16, 2015
In the past few days Hungary has begun construction on another border fence, this time on its Romanian border, and has positioned military vehicles along its border to scare off migrants.
According to the Hungarian press, migrants have been chanting, “Open! Open!” as well as “Allah Hu Akbar” as helicopters circle overhead. According to Sky News, the migrants had a “ringleader” with them with a megaphone who was egging the migrants on, shouting demands at the Hungarian police.
The Associated Press reports: “Hungarian police have used tear gas after hundreds of migrants broke through a razor wire fence on the border with Serbia.
“The police stopped the crowd, who threw plastic water bottles at them. There were no reports of injuries. Several people were seen with tears in their eyes from the gas.
“The crowd coming in from the Serbian border town of Horgos remained in front of the gate facing the police cordon. A Hungarian water cannon was parked facing them.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made it clear that he doesn’t intend for his country to be used by the migrants to cross further into Europe. He has previously commented upon the threat the migrants pose to Western civilisation.
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