Two men have been charged following violent protests over the murder of teenager Henry Nowak in the UK.
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Hundreds of protesters clashed with Police on Tuesday in the port city of Southampton, hurling bricks and bins as they chanted “Henry, Henry”.
Hampshire Police said 11 officers and one police dog were injured in the violence, which broke out after bodycam footage of Nowak’s final moments was publicly released.
Nowak, 18, was returning home from a night out with friends in December when he was attacked and stabbed multiple times by Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old Sikh man. Digwa was found guilty of Nowak’s murder last month. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years on Monday.
The incident drew huge public attention after it emerged Digwa had falsely told police who attended the scene that he had been the victim of a racist attack, prompting officers to handcuff and arrest Nowak as he lay dying.
Bodycam footage of the incident showed Nowak telling police that he “can’t breathe” and that he had been stabbed, to which one officer replied: “Don’t think you have, mate”.
The arresting officers’ actions have since come in for fierce criticism, and the force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also attended a rally in Southampton on Tuesday, telling a crowd he wanted the officers involved to face prison time.
The Crown Prosecution Service said on Thursday that Matt Styler, 50, had been charged with assaulting a police officer in relation to the disorder in Southampton, while Daniel Frost, 44, was charged with violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon.
In a press release, Sophie Stevens, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS Wessex, said the service had worked closely with Hampshire police during the force’s investigation.
“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings,” Stevens added.
On Wednesday, Hampshire Police released a statement condemning the violence.
“We understand and appreciate as police officers that we are accountable for our actions. What we ask, however, is that those actions are judged through fair and transparent processes,” chief constable Alexis Boon said. “What we, as a society, cannot accept is the violent scenes we saw in Southampton last night”.
Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform party, sparked criticism from Prime Minister Keir Starmer after he called for people to respond to Nowak’s murder with “pure cold rage”.
Starmer accused Farage of using the incident to “create division”.
“The grieving family have asked us not to respond in the way that the leader of Reform has responded,” Starmer said in the House of Commons.
“Exploiting this tragedy to create grievance and division would be wrong in any circumstances. But to do it when the family are expressly saying, ‘please don’t,’ is unforgiveable,” he continued, adding: “It shows exactly who he is”.
In a joint statement, a conglomerate of Sikh community groups called Nowak’s killing a “moment of madness by an individual for which there can be no excuses”.
But it said the wider Sikh community had faced “considerable abuse and hate” during Digwa’s trial, particularly in relation to the Sikh practice of carrying a Kirpan, a small blade that forms part of the religious uniform. Prosecutors say Digwa carried a standard Kirpan as well as a large dagger.
“This was an isolated incident, the Sikh community is committed to promoting greater understanding and ensuring lessons are learned,” the statement said. “Fully practicing Sikhs who wear a Kirpan should continue to recognise the serious responsibility that accompanies it, together with the limited legal protection that exists for wearing it for genuine religious purposes”.
