Over 150 people gathered outside Portswood Police Station in Southampton on a June evening, taking the knee and chanting “I can’t breathe” while holding a three-minute silence for a murdered university student. The protests, which turned violent earlier in the week with missiles thrown at officers, have become a flashpoint for wider grievances about policing, race, and knife crime in the UK.
The demonstrations were triggered by the death of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton. In December 2025, Nowak was stabbed multiple times by Vickrum Digwa, 23, after a brief altercation as Nowak walked from a pub to his accommodation. Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been racially abused and acted in self-defence, was convicted of murder and jailed for life on 1 June 2026. But the controversy centres on how police handled the scene: bodycam footage released after the trial shows officers handcuffing the wounded Nowak as he told them he had been stabbed and could not breathe. One officer replied, “I don’t think you have, mate.” Nowak died at the scene.
“An explainer on the 2026 Southampton protests after Henry Nowak's murder, police handling, and wider tensions.”
The case has crystallised years of public anger over policing, particularly claims of a “two-tier” system that treats white victims differently from ethnic minorities. Protesters, including some far-right groups such as White Vanguard, have accused the police of being “anti-white” and prioritising accusations of racism over violent crime. Others, however, see the protests as a broader response to knife crime and failures in public protection. Henry’s father, Mark Nowak, urged against “knee-jerk reactions” but called for a “common sense approach to law and order”.
For UK readers, the story raises urgent questions about police training and accountability. The incident mirrors past cases where officers have been criticised for failing to provide first aid to stabbing victims. It also highlights tensions around the use of ceremonial knives: Digwa used a Sikh kirpan, a religious article, prompting debates about exemptions to knife laws. The protests have already led to 14 people being charged with violent disorder, and more arrests are expected.
Q: What happened to Henry Nowak? Henry Nowak, 18, was stabbed to death in Southampton in December 2025 by Vickrum Digwa, who claimed self-defence after alleging racial abuse. Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying, and Digwa was later jailed for life.
Q: Why did protesters take the knee and chant “I can’t breathe”? Protesters used these gestures to highlight their view that police failed to help Nowak when he said he couldn’t breathe after being stabbed, echoing similar protest tactics used after George Floyd’s death in the US.
Q: How many people have been charged over the protests? As of 7 June 2026, 14 people have been charged with violent disorder, including three men remanded into custody. Eight had pleaded guilty, and a 16-year-old girl was arrested and released on bail.
What happens next is uncertain. Hampshire Police continues to investigate the disorder, with four more men in custody. Henry Nowak’s family has called for reforms to prevent similar deaths, and the case is likely to fuel ongoing debates about policing, knife crime, and community relations in the UK.