Protesters Clash With Police in England Over Nowak Murder
Henry Nowak was attacked on 3 December 2025 by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who told police at the time that he had been the target of a racist attack.
Anger over the killing of a Southampton teenager spilled into violence as protesters hurled missiles at police near the spot where an 18-year-old student was handcuffed while fatally wounded after a stabbing.
Henry Nowak was attacked on 3 December 2025 by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, who told police at the time that he had been the target of a racist attack.
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Body-worn camera footage from the night captures Mr Nowak repeatedly telling officers: “I’ve been stabbed”.
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station yesterday, where far-right activist Tommy Robinson was among those addressing the crowd.
Watch: Violence erupts as protesters confront police in Southampton
Chairs, cans and flares were thrown at officers in riot gear, eventually driving police and three vans back from the line they had been holding.
Hundreds turned out in Southampton to protest the police handling of the case
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood later denounced the disorder in Portswood as “completely unacceptable”, accusing demonstrators of “hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder” despite a plea from Mr Nowak’s family not to let the murder deepen division and hatred.
The confrontation came as pressure mounted over the police response to the attack, including the decision to arrest and handcuff Mr Nowak as he lay dying.
“The Nowak family made a powerful call to us all yesterday to not let Henry’s death be used to create further division, hatred or tension,” Ms Mahmood said.
“There can be no justification for hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder. Those responsible can expect to face the full force of the law,” she added.
“I thank the police who have… shown great bravery and calm in the face of disgraceful violence directed at them,” she said.
Digwa was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years for fatally stabbing Mr Nowak with a ceremonial knife he carried as part of his Sikh religion.
Henry Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying after being stabbed by Vickrum Digwa
He had previously been investigated by police in 2023 on suspicion of stealing ceremonial blades from a Sikh temple in Southampton, but no further action was taken.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said it would review anti-racism guidance known as the Race Action Plan, which some critics have linked to the actions of the officers who arrested Mr Nowak.
“We are listening to legitimate concerns about how some of these commitments are worded or phrased, and where needed we can and will make changes, but this should not detract from the intent, which is to improve the quality of policing,” NPCC chairman Gavin Stephens said.
Hampshire Police said one of the officers involved has resigned, while the other three remain in service. All four are being treated as witnesses.
Watch: Bodycam captures police handcuffing Henry Nowak
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he “felt sick” after watching the “harrowing” footage of police handcuffing Mr Nowak and said the case raises “serious questions”.
He said there must be an examination of how “accusations of racism” shaped police decision-making that night.
The police watchdog is expected to publish its findings within the next three months.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said investigators are reviewing a large volume of body-worn video along with material presented during Digwa’s trial.
Speaking after Digwa was sentenced on Monday, Mr Nowak’s father, Mark Nowak, said: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension.”
But Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the public should react with “pure cold rage” to the way Mr Nowak was treated, calling it evidence of a “two-tier culture”.
Mr Farage said 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,”.
Earlier yesterday, Hampshire Police said an officer unconnected to the case had received death threats after being wrongly identified in online posts.
In a post on X, the force said, “We recognise the desire for answers about the police response that night” and warned against “harmful online speculation”.
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Read More: UK police watchdog report into student murder within three months
