Riot police clashed with individuals at a protest in Southampton following widespread outrage over bodycam footage revealing that stabbed student Henry Nowak's pleas for help were dismissed by officers. The demonstration erupted after Vickrum Digwa, 23, was convicted of Nowak's murder.
Protest Turns Violent
Officers were pelted with objects near the location where Nowak was fatally stabbed, as masked individuals hurled bikes at police carrying shields. Beer was also thrown at police vans and officers. After a demonstration outside Southampton Central Police Station, a large crowd marched across the city to the St Denys area, close to where the murder occurred. While the majority of attendees conducted themselves peacefully, certain individuals, many with their faces covered, began causing disorder.
Chairs, cans, and flares were launched at officers in riot gear, eventually forcing police and three riot vans to retreat. Damage was visible in the surrounding area, with a fence torn down. Officers pushed back the crowd using riot shields as chants of "I can't breathe" rang out. At one point, bins were thrown at police, forcing them to retreat further.
Bodycam Footage Sparks Outrage
Nowak's killer, Vickrum Digwa, lied to officers attending the stabbing scene on 3 December 2025, claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack. Body-worn camera footage shows Nowak repeatedly saying, "I've been stabbed," to which an officer replies, "Don't think you have, mate." This footage caused outrage, with the Prime Minister saying he "felt sick" watching it. A police helicopter circled overhead following a largely peaceful demonstration outside the station, which far-right activist Tommy Robinson attended.
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."
Family Calls for Calm
The scenes followed Nowak's father Mark stating: "We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension." The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed that investigators are reviewing a substantial volume of body-worn camera footage alongside 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." Digwa received a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years for stabbing Nowak with a ceremonial knife bearing a 21cm blade, which prosecutors described as a kirpan that he carried as part of his Sikh faith.
