Police pelted with missiles at Henry Nowak protest

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Police pelted with missiles at Henry Nowak protest8 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleStuart RustSouth of EnglandGetty ImagesOfficers in riot gear faced a hostile crowd close to the family home of Henry Nowak's killerPolice officers have been pelted with missiles during a protest near the Southampton home of Henry Nowak's killer. A crowd of several hundred initially took part in a demonstration outside Southampton Central Police Station before gathering close to the family home of Vickrum Digwa in St Denys. The 23-year-old was jailed for life on Monday after being convicted of murdering Nowak, 18, as he walked back to his student accommodation in Southampton in December 2025.

Responding to the clashes with police, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the scenes as "completely unacceptable". Watch: correspondent reports from protests over Nowak stabbingProtesters marched across the city from the police station to the St Denys area, close to where Nowak was murdered in December. Chairs, cans and flares were thrown at officers in riot gear, forcing them to retreat.

The Details

Digwa stabbed Nowak with a large blade he claimed to carry for religious reasons, before lying to police at the scene and falsely claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack - leading officers to arrest Henry rather than his killer. Body cam footage released this week showed Nowak repeatedly telling officers he had been stabbed as he lay dying in handcuffs. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation into the force's response.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said there are "serious questions for police" following the release of the footage. During the initial protest at the police station, political activist Tommy Robinson spoke to the crowd. Getty ImagesHundreds of people gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station before moving to the St Denys areaRobinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said: "I heard someone say this wasn't about race, this is about race.

"He added: "A white boy who done nothing was handcuffed, a murderer in possession of a knife who stabbed someone five times isn't. "The demonstrators could be heard chanting Nowak's name and "I can't breathe", which were among the teenager's last words. Getty ImagesTommy Robinson outside the police station earlier in the eveningMahmood emphasised that Nowak's family had called against using his death as a cause of further "division, hatred or tension".

What Experts Say

"There can be no justification for hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder," she said. "Those responsible can expect to face the full force of the law. "Satvir Kaur, the Labour MP for Southampton Test, the constituency in which the murder took place, said she was concerned the murder was being exploited for political reasons.

"Of course people need to look at knife crime but when it comes to using this an excuse to put communities against each other, that is not helping," she said.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.