Protesters clash with police in Southampton over Henry Nowak murder

Hundreds of people gathered outside a Southampton police station to protest against the murder of Henry Nowak and dozens clashed with police close to the home of his killer, Vickrum Digwa.

The far-right activist Tommy Robinson was among speakers who addressed the crowd outside Southampton central police station at the “Justice for Henry Nowak” protest.

People chanted: “Racist police, off our streets” and “Shame on you”. They held union flags and homemade signs with slogans such as “Henry’s blood is on your hands”, “Save our kids” and “Prison 4 police on scene.”

A few hundred then marched to the area where the murder took place where police held them back as they tried to get into the street where Digwa’s family lives. Some protesters hurled bottles, beer cans and wheelie bins at police.

Protest gathered outside Southampton central police station. Photograph: Ollie Thompson/Solent News & Photo Agency/Solent News

After Digwa was jailed, Nowak’s father, Mark Nowak, condemned the “inhumane and degrading” treatment of his son by police, but added: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We want his story to help make our streets safer for everyone.”

Robinson accused Hampshire police of institutional racism, saying: “If Henry wasn’t white, he wouldn’t have been handcuffed. Responding to the resignation of one of the police officers involved in the arrest, he said: “We want him in prison.”

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said: “I heard someone say this wasn’t about race, this is about race. 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.”

He continued: “As white people we are treated like second-rate citizens by our own government. White privilege? Does Henry look like he has white privilege when he was on the floor?”