Riot police conflict with people at Southampton protest over Henry Nowak homicide
Protestors peacefully descended on Southampton Central Police station to hold a minute silence for murdered student Henry Nowak but scenes turned ugly as masked individuals have been seen throwing objects at riot police
Objects have been thrown at police officers following a protest (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Riot police have descended on the scene of the protest in Southampton after outrage over bodycam footage showed stabbed student Henry Nowak’s please for help ignored.
Police officers have been pelted with objects close to where Nowak was stabbed to death as individuals covering their faces also threw bikes as cops carrying shields.
Following the protest outside Southampton Central Police station, a large group walked across town to the area of St Denys, close to where the murder took place. The protest saw the majority of the hundreds in attendance behave peacefully but some individuals, many covering their faces, started causing chaos with police.
Chairs, cans and flares were thrown at police in riot gear, eventually forcing officers and three police vans back from the line they had been holding.
Damage could also be seen to caused to the surrounding area with a fence pulled down. Police were also seen pushing back the group using riot shields as shouts of “I can’t breathe” were chanted.
Demonstrators chanted “Henry, Henry” as the line of police were pelted with bricks and forced to retreated again.
The killer of finance student Nowak, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, lied to police attending the scene of the stabbing in Southampton on December 3 in 2025 that he had been the victim of a racist attack.
In body-worn camera footage from the incident, Nowak can be heard repeatedly saying: “I’ve been stabbed,” to which an officer replies: “Don’t think you have, mate.” It is this footage which caused outrage with the Prime Minister saying he “felt sick” watching the footage.
Digwa was given a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years in prison for stabbing Nowak with a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade prosecutors said was a kirpan, which he carried as part of his Sikh religion.
A police helicopter was also seen flying above following a fairly peaceful protest outside of the station, where far-right activist Tommy Robinson has joined them.
Addressing the crowd, Robinson said: “I heard someone say this wasn’t about race, this is about race. Because he (Mr Nowak) was white he was handcuffed.
“Even after they found out he (Digwa) had stabbed him five times, they still didn’t handcuff him. A white boy who done nothing was handcuffed, a murderer in possession of a knife who stabbed someone five times isn’t.”
The scenes come after Nowak’s father Mark speaking said: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said investigators are examining a large amount of body-worn video as well as material presented during Digwa’s trial.
Sir Keir said: “It is absolutely right that the IOPC are looking at this. There are clearly serious questions that need to be addressed, not least how accusations of racism informed the decision-making in this case.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said people should respond with “pure cold rage” to Mr Nowak’s treatment, which he said was evidence of a “two-tier culture”.
Mr Nowak was “actually treated in a way that meant an accusation of a racial slur was treated more seriously than an act of murder”, Mr Farage said.
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