Protesters kneel at Henry Nowak vigil days after Southampton riots | UK news


SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JUNE 07: People gather to protest the death of Henry Nowak outside Portswood Police Station on June 07, 2026 in Southampton, England. Earlier this week, violent protests erupted in Southampton and Liverpool following the release of police CCTV footage from the scene of the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. The controversy centers on the actions of Hampshire police, who handcuffed and arrested Nowak as he lay dying from stab wounds, choosing to believe a false allegation of racial abuse made by his killer, Vickrum Digwa. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
People gather to protest the death of Henry Nowak outside Portswood Police Station (Image: Getty)

Protesters gathered outside a police station for a peaceful vigil to mark the killing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.

A small crowd gathered outside Portswood Police Station for speeches, songs in Henry’s honor and a three-minute silence.

Kneeling in the street, reflecting a protest sparked by the killing of George Floyd, people shouted ‘racist police, off our streets’.

It comes after protests broke out in Southampton where 14 people were charged with violent disorder.

Bricks, fence panels, industrial bins, chairs and traffic cones were thrown at police officers as the unrest continued into the night.

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Tributes to murdered student Henry Nowak during a protest outside Portswood police station in Southampton, Hampshire. Photo date: Sunday, June 7, 2026. PA photo. Vickrum Digwa was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of Henry Nowak, who he stabbed to death with a ceremonial Sikh kirpan knife in Southampton on December 3, 2025. Photo should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
Tributes to slain student Henry Nowak during a protest outside Portswood police station (Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

Violent protests followed the conviction of Vickrum Digwa for the murder of Henry Nowak, after police wrongly arrested him for rACISM.

Before the vigil began, a woman addressed the protesters and asked people not to become violent.

She said: “I must emphasize that we are not here for trouble. You had your day. That day is gone. If you are here for trouble, leave now. We are not here for that.’

A father asked the crowd to raise their hands if they ‘didn’t believe us’ the government now many people raised their hands.

He added: “This is my message to the government. We don’t trust you.

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JUNE 07: A woman holds a poster of Henry Nowak during a protest over his death outside Portswood Police Station on June 07, 2026 in Southampton, England. Earlier this week, violent protests erupted in Southampton and Liverpool following the release of police CCTV footage from the scene of the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. The controversy centers on the actions of Hampshire police, who handcuffed and arrested Nowak as he lay dying from stab wounds, choosing to believe a false allegation of racial abuse made by his killer, Vickrum Digwa. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
Hampshire police handcuffed and arrested Nowak as he lay dying from the stab wound (Image: Getty)

A woman named Mandy told the crowd: ‘Watching that video was one of the most horrific things to see, that someone’s child was treated like that. He was treated like a piece of meat as if he didn’t matter.’

She added: “This police force needs a total riot. Don’t keep gassing us Keir Starmer. We see you for who you really are.’

She ended the speech with “Keir Starmer, you’re freaking out”, to which the crowd responded with the same chant.

Attacks on Sikhs have occurred “up and down the country” every day since Vickrum Digwa was convicted.

An undated photo of Vickrum Digwa, who was sentenced to life in prison on June 1, 2026, for the murder of Henry Nowak, obtained by Reuters on June 3, 2026. HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT CONSTABULARY/Leaflet via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE IS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.
Digwa has been jailed for life after lying to police about being the victim of a racist attack (Photo via REUTERS)

Dabinderjit Singh, a senior executive at the Sikh Federation which promotes Sikh causes, made the comments at a march held to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the attack on the Golden Temple in INDIA‘s Amritsar that saw hundreds of people killed.

The event drew thousands of Sikhs to the capital after violent protests in response to the killing of Mr Nowak, who was stabbed by Digwa in Southampton using a ceremonial knife prosecutors said he carried as part of his Sikh religion.

Mr Singh said there have been daily attacks on Sikhs since Digwa was jailed for it crIme on Monday, adding that it “brings home” the violence Sikhs faced in the 1984 Golden Temple massacre.

He said: “What has happened since last Monday, which brings home what happened 42 years ago, is that when that CCTV footage was released, there was real outrage.

“We understand that – we were just as angry with the police officers, and obviously Digwa, because he is a murderer, (and) those lies that he told, but unfortunately, every day since Monday, Sikhs up and down the country have been attacked.

Children, men, women, pensioners, doctors, people going shopping, people walking in the park.

“A person went to the gym and was told: “We will hang you from the turban”.

“What if someone gets killed?”



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