Eleven police officers and a police dog were injured during violent disorder in Southampton on Tuesday night, according to Hampshire Police Chief Constable Alexis Boon. The unrest, which involved individuals claiming to protest over the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, was described as 'terrifying' by local residents.
The protest began peacefully outside Southampton Central Police Station but escalated when hundreds of people marched to the Portswood neighbourhood where Nowak was killed and where his alleged killer, Vickrum Digwa, lived. Riot police in protective gear prevented the crowd from reaching Digwa's family home as protesters hurled bricks, wheelie bins, bottles, and beer cans.
Chief Constable Boon condemned the violence, stating: 'What we, as a society, cannot accept is the violent scenes we saw in Southampton last night. Some clearly arrived intent on causing disorder and trouble.' He added that the injured officers and dog were doing their job 'to protect the communities that we serve.' Two arrests have been made, and Boon promised to bring all involved to justice.
Labour council leader Sarah Bogle expressed distress over the scenes, noting that many participants appeared to have travelled from outside the city. She urged respect for the Nowak family's wishes to 'dial down the tensions' and criticised the weaponisation of the tragedy by 'politicians or the far right.'
Residents described their terror as the violence unfolded near their homes. Sophie Martin, a neighbour of the Digwa family, said both families' cars were smashed, leaving her 'absolutely petrified' for her young children. Labour councillor John Savage called the violence 'absolutely outrageous' and suggested most demonstrators were from elsewhere, adding that the area had seen prior protests over a hotel housing asylum seekers.
