Some of the thousands of migrants camped at Budapest's Keleti train station who managed to get a place on a train bound for the border with Austria had their journey curtailed by Hungarian authorities on Thursday, who intend to send the migrants to a camp instead of allowing them to reach their destination.
Midnight at #Keleti station, Budapest, Europe. pic.twitter.com/iNuKzr21Ae
— James Badcock (@jpfbadcock) September 1, 2015
The train was the first to depart Keleti train station after two days during which police closed the station to refugees and migrants, and left Budapest early on Thursday.
Hungary Shuts Major Train Station to Stop Migrant #ExodusWest #Budapest http://t.co/Xma9GQmFzd pic.twitter.com/v7FWjvlD1F
— German Trends (@Germanolizer) September 1, 2015
Instead of continuing to its destination of Sopron, near the Austrian border, the train stopped at the town of Bicske, an hour from Budapest, the site of one of Hungary’s four main refugee camps.
Train from #keleti with refugees stopped at Bicske. Some removed, some try to run. #trainofhope now #trainofdespair. pic.twitter.com/Bmmh43HfYy
— Joanna Slater (@jslaternyc) September 3, 2015
Refugees shouting 'don't leave us' as media pushed away from train pic.twitter.com/Mgo7RXJhpb
— James Mates (@jamesmatesitv) September 3, 2015
Confrontations ensued between the migrants and police, when security forces in Hungary tried to force migrants off the train. Migrants shouting "no camp," refused to leave the train. When some were forcibly removed, they lay on the tracks in protest.
Man and wife with tiny baby throw themselves onto track demanding not to be taken to camps. Getting c distressing pic.twitter.com/ploEd11rAH
— James Mates (@jamesmatesitv) September 3, 2015
#Hungary: Video shows moment when police forces journalists to leave #refugee train at #Bicske pic.twitter.com/4yfvWTbF08 Via @dieste_hh
— José Miguel Sardo (@jmsardo) September 3, 2015
Hungarian police forced journalists away from Bicske station, which, according to reports, has been declared an 'operation zone' by authorities.
