UK: Protest erupts over student murder
Protesters have clashed with police in Southampton over the December murder of finance student Henry Nowak. The fatally injured victim was handcuffed by police after
Protesters have clashed with police in Southampton over the December murder of finance student Henry Nowak. The fatally injured victim was handcuffed by police after his killer accused him of racist abuse. Demonstrators clashed with police in the southern English city of Southampton on Tuesday while protesting at what they said was an example of anti-white policing in the case of a student killed in December. Protesters threw stones and other missiles at police in clashes close to the site where 18-year-old Henry Nowak died of his wounds while handcuffed by police after his killer, a Sikh man, accused the victim of racist abuse. Protest in Southampton turns violent The protest, attended by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, came after the killer, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years in prison on Monday. Hundreds of protesters first gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station, with violence breaking out after many of them walked to the area of Portswood where the murder occurred. Riot police there were forced to retreat from the line they were holding as they were pelted with chairs, rocks and flares, with demonstrators chanting "Henry, Henry." The murder has aroused a heated debate in the UK on policing, race and knife crime in the UK.
Unrest has been additionally fueled by the release of a video showing police initially disbelieving Nowak's statements that he had been stabbed. Some have seen the police treatment of Nowak as a sign of anti-white prejudice Image: Isabel Infantes/REUTERS What did the video of Nowak's arrest show? Body cam footage of the incident on December 3, 2025, shows Nowak lying on the ground in handcuffs repeatedly saying: "I've been stabbed," to which an officer replies: "Don't think you have, mate." Nowak is also heard saying repeatedly, "I can't breathe." When officers finally discovered his injuries, they uncuffed him and started CPR, police said. His killer was standing nearby and told officers he had also been injured, while claiming that Nowak had knocked off his turban and pulled his hair. Digwa's claim of racist abuse was dismissed by the judge who sentenced him. "You are the only person to make that claim and it is completely at odds with his previous character," Judge William Mousley told the accused. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was sickened by the video and there are questions to be answered about how "accusations of racism informed the decision-making in this case." Digwa used a 21cm (8in) blade he said he carried as part of his Sikh religion to stab Nowak, who was walking home alone after a night out with friends.
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