Eleven police officers and a police dog were injured as protesters threw bricks and bins at riot officers during a demonstration in Southampton on Tuesday night. The protest, which turned violent, was sparked by the killing of Henry Nowak and his treatment by police, who handcuffed him after a false accusation of racism by his killer, Vickrum Digwa.
Far-Right Presence at the Protest
While the event drew ordinary members of the public appalled by Nowak's death, it also attracted several far-right leaders, anti-immigrant influencers, and known fascists. Two people have been arrested. Although much of the violence occurred after many speakers had left, some leading figures were seen clashing with riot police.
Key Attendees
- Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon): Called for Digwa's family to be removed from the city, claiming Nowak's handcuffing showed differential treatment for white people. He awaits trial for harassment of two Daily Mail journalists.
- Luke Jahn: Portsmouth branch organiser for the fascist National Rebirth party, seen making lewd gestures at police and later tweeting "Anglo Saxon England".
- Laurence Fox: Former actor and London mayoral candidate, founder of the far-right Reclaim party. He told the crowd that police were "your enemy".
- Paul Golding: Leader of Britain First, urged the crowd to turn anger into political action, claiming police ignore "real criminals turning Britain into a foreign country".
- Nick Tenconi: Former senior figure in Turning Point UK and current Ukip leader, pledged mass deportations and reinstatement of Christianity in government.
- Gregory Moffitt (aka Young Bob): Conservative activist suspended from Turning Point after making disparaging comments about Tenconi. He claimed "native people are not properly policed".
- Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (Posie Parker): Blamed Nowak's killing on schools teaching critical race theory, told a reporter that "whites are at the bottom of the priority list".
- Anthony Barnes (AY Audits): Far-right YouTuber with 141,000 subscribers, known for anti-migrant protests.
- Chris Wickland: Senior pastor and associate of Tommy Robinson, prominent in Christian Nationalist circles.
Community leaders expressed concerns that far-right groups bused people into the area. The protest was organised by Southampton Patriots, backed by Turning Point UK and Patriots of Britain.
