Violent clashes between protesters and riot police erupted across Southampton on Tuesday evening. The unrest followed the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, and the subsequent release of controversial police body camera footage.
Demonstrators initially gathered outside the Southampton Central Police Station to protest the handling of the incident by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. The body camera footage, captured in December 2025, showed officers handcuffing a mortally wounded Nowak. Officers repeatedly dismissed the teenager’s statements that he had been stabbed and could not breathe. During the trial, it was revealed that officers were misled by Digwa, who falsely claimed that Nowak had subjected him to a racist assault and knocked off his turban. Digwa was sentenced on Monday to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.
Following the initial gathering, the protest escalated. A crowd estimated to be over a thousand people marched toward the residential street where the Digwa family resides, as well as the nearby Portswood Police Station. Demonstrators, some waving national flags and chanting slogans directed at the police, confronted lines of officers equipped with riot shields. Individuals within the crowd threw projectiles, including glass bottles, bricks, and wheelie bins, at police vehicles and personnel.
Political figures and activists attended the demonstration, attempting to link the police’s actions to broader debates regarding two-tier policing and knife crime exemptions. However, government officials swiftly moved to condemn the violence.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood issued a formal statement addressing the disorder. She characterized the scenes in Portswood as completely unacceptable and warned against exploiting the situation. “There can be no justification for hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder,” Mahmood stated. “Those responsible can expect to face the full force of the law.”
The Prime Minister also issued a public appeal for calm, directing attention back to the wishes of the victim’s family. Following the sentencing of Digwa, Mark Nowak, the victim’s father, strongly criticized the police’s treatment of his son as inhumane and degrading. However, he explicitly urged the public to refrain from using the tragedy for political purposes. “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension,” the family stated. “We want his story to help make our streets safer for everyone.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct confirmed that an investigation into the officers’ response to the stabbing remains ongoing. Meanwhile, local authorities are reviewing security footage to identify individuals involved in the violent clashes.
