Anti-police protestors took the knee and chanted ‘I can’t breathe’ during demonstrations for Henry Nowak outside a police station in Southampton.
A crowd bearing flags and megaphones gathered outside Portswood Police Station on Sunday evening to vent anger at the ‘two-tier policing’ they believe Henry was subjected to.
The 18-year-old student was placed in handcuffs as he lay dying on the ground after being stabbed by Vickrum Digwa with a ceremonial religious sword.
Protestors came from across Southampton to the flash demonstration, which was announced on social media only hours before it began.
Some got down on one knee as a mark of respect to Henry, and his dying words – ‘I can’t breathe’ – were chanted by the crowd.
Police officers at the scene were met with hostility, with cries of ‘shame on you’ and ‘no peace, no justice’ heard.
Paul, 62, from Southampton said he joined the protest to ‘stand and be counted’.
He told the Mail: ‘If the cards had been flipped, the world would be on fire like with BLM.’
Protestors took the knee outside Portswood Police Station on Sunday afternoon in demontration against the treatment of Henry Nowak in his dying moments
The crowd gathered to vent anger at the ‘two-tier policing’ some claim Henry was subjected to
A memorial to Henry was set up outside the police station
‘There’s a two-tier system, and people are just afraid to talk about it nowadays.’
He added: ‘Police are only human and they will make mistakes, but everything just gone too far with DEI now and the result is this.’
Hampshire Constabulary met the demonstration with a sturdy police presence and numerous vans in the surrounding streets.
A previous protest on Tuesday descended into clashes between police and protestors, with 14 later charged with causing violent disorder.
A makeshift memorial has been set up outside the police station, with signs reading ‘End two-tier policing, end two-tier justice’ and ‘Never forget Henry Nowak’ alongside bouquets of flowers and pictures of Henry.
The crowd on Sunday evening waved St George’s crosses and Union Jacks, as well as placards bearing messages such as ‘Justice for Henry’.
Some of the group addressed speeches to the crowd, in which they accused the police of treating people differently based on ethnicity and religion.
One said: ‘There’s only one law in this land, only one standard. The police answer to the people.
An array of flags and placards were carried by the protestors on Sunday afternoon
Some politicians have accused the police of a ‘two-tier’ approach, whereby people are treated differently depending on their religion or ethnicity
Earlier in the week, protestors hurled bins during violent clashes with police
Eleven officers were injured in the disorder and 14 people have been arrrested on suspicion of violent disorder
The protests in Southampton followed the murder of Henry Nowak (pictured) in December last year
Vickrum Digwa (pictured), 23, was jailed for a minimum of 21 years after he stabbed Henry to death
‘Release the transcript, release the evidence. Stop taking us for fools!’
Tuesday’s protest began outside Southampton Police Station before moving towards the home of Digwa’s family.
Bins were set alight and hurled at officers, and several vehicles belonging to residents were vandalised.
A 16-year-old girl was among those arrested in connection with the disorder.
The total rose to 14 on Sunday when three more men were arrested and charged.
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Girl, 16, among those arrested after protests following Henry Nowak murder
Darren Medhurst, 36, Jordan Hambleton, 19, and Callum Darch, 27, were all remanded in custody.
The unrest came in response to the release of footage from a police bodycam that showed officers handcuffing Henry and reading his rights as he tried to tell them he had been stabbed.
The arresting officer was heard to say ‘I don’t think you have, mate,’ while turning Henry onto his side.
Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for murdering Henry.
He had falsely claimed he was the victim of a racist attack and that he had acted in self–defence.
In reality, he stabbed the first-year student five times with a 21cm blade linked to his Sikh faith after an altercation in the street.
The case has since become the focus of a political row, with Sir Keir Starmer urging politicians to respect the wishes of the teenager’s family and not use the tragedy to inflame tensions.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police is now the subject of an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), while Chief Constable Alexis Boon has publicly apologised to Henry’s family.
The release of CCTV and body-worn camera footage has attracted international attention, with the US State Department commenting on the case and calling for what it described as ‘two–tiered policing’ to be rejected in western countries.
Earlier in the week, US Vice President JD Vance sparked a diplomatic row after posting on social media about the case, expressing support for what he described as ‘righteous anger’ and linking Henry’s murder to migration. His comments were criticised by Downing Street.
Speaking in the Commons following the unrest, Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the violence as ‘disgraceful and completely unacceptable’ and said those responsible would face ‘the full force of the law’.
