Why did riots break out in Southampton? | Explained
The story so far On June 2, far-right protestors in Southampton in the U.K. clashed with the police. Some of the clashes occurred near the
The story so far On June 2, far-right protestors in Southampton in the U.K. clashed with the police. Some of the clashes occurred near the home of Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old Sikh man who received a life sentence on June 1 for killing Henry Nowak, 18, last December. Why have protests erupted now? Protests erupted following the release of police bodycam footage which showed Nowak being handcuffed and arrested as he lay dying. Mr. Digwa, who had stabbed Nowak multiple times with a long knife, which he carried for religious reasons, denied the stabbing and falsely claimed that Nowak had racially abused him. Controversial far-right figure Tommy Robinson (born Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) and actor Laurence Fox addressed the crowd before the protests began. At least five people have been arrested after 11 officers were injured in the attack. How has the political establishment reacted? The treatment of Nowak drew widespread condemnation. Despite repeatedly telling the police that he had been stabbed and could not breathe, he was dragged, made to sit up, and handcuffed, and disbelieved. On the other hand, the perpetrator was dealt with courteously.
Some on the hard right have alleged that the police practice ‘two-tier policing’ — softer treatment for racial minorities and those on the left committing crimes or protesting. “We cannot allow the colour of someone’s skin to be a consideration in how the police or other public services treat people, and yet this has happened,” Shadow Home Secretary (Conservative) Chirs Philp said in Parliament. Such accusations are not new. The Keir Starmer-led Labour government had previously rejected these claims as has the Metropolitan Police (Met). U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons on June 2 that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) was investigating the case and she did not want to comment while the probe was under way. “The police in this country have a sacred duty to police without fear or favour. Everyone in this country is equal before the law,” she said. Mahmood also emphasised the commitment of the government to halve knife crime. Mark Nowak, the victim’s father, also urged the government to treat knife crime as an emergency. He said he did not want his son’s murder to be used to create further divisions.
Politicians from several parties, including Labour, Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats, have warned against creating divisions in society as a response to the tragedy. However, nativist party Reform U.K.’s leader, Nigel Farage, called on people to respond with “pure, cold rage”, drawing criticism from MPs across party lines. Conservatives across the Atlantic, including tech billionaire Elon Musk, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and the U.S. State Department, have inserted themselves into the debate. What next for the police? One of the four officers who had responded to the scene of the crime had already resigned. A probe by the IOPC to look into the officer’s actions on the night of the murder is also under way. The Police Chiefs’ Council is reviewing the anti-racism guidance of the police, which has one of its goals, “Producing equality of policing outcomes for people from different ethnic groups”. It goes on to say this “does not mean treating everyone ‘the same’ or being ‘colour blind’ (racial equality).” How have Sikh groups reacted? Sikh politicians and representatives of Gurudwaras have expressed solidarity with the Nowak family and condemned the murder.
The BriefWire