British far-right demonstrators have been accused of exploiting the murder of British student Henry Nowak to amplify Islamophobia - despite the incident having no links to Islam or Muslims
In Southampton on Tuesday, a group of far-right individuals rioted in the southern English city following the verdict on Nowak’s case, which convicted Vickrum Digwa of murder and sentenced him to life with a minimum of 21 years in prison.
Videos on social media appeared to show one man saying: "Our nation has been invaded. Many of them bow down to the false God of Islam. This is a Christian nation".
Digwa is a British Sikh and had stabbed Nowak with a Sikh dagger, also known as a kirpan. Far-right activist Tommy Robinson , whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, attended the march and also used the occasion to spew anti-Islam rhetoric.
Robinson was filmed saying: "Henry’s murder - I’ve spoken about this for 20 years. To be a victim of a race gang, i.e., Pakistani Muslims, will be beating up a white kid, the police will turn up, and they will jump on the white kid. Every time, I’ve seen it my whole life."
The far-right activist, who has been convicted multiple times on fraud, harassment, and contempt of court charges, had urged his supporters to protest in Southampton in an earlier video message.
In response to the Islamophobic language used in Southampton, British Muslim advocacy group MEND said Robinson was "not deterred" in the slightest by the fact that the perpetrator was a Sikh man when he made the remarks.
"The facts of the case were never the point. The target was always Britain’s minorities, and any tragedy would be used as a pretext."
"They took a real horror, stripped it of its truth, and turned it into fuel against whichever community is convenient," the group told The New Arab . "And now the noise they’ve generated pulls attention away from the questions that actually demand answers.
"A young man told officers he could not breathe, that he had been stabbed, and was disbelieved and handcuffed as he lay dying. That catastrophic failure of policing, and the accountability it demands, is what justice for Henry looks like. The far right grifters offer only heat, division, and a body to stand on."
The incident, dating back to 3 December 2025, saw Nowak, an 18-year-old student at the University of Southampton, stabbed to death five times by 23-year-old Digwa.
Police body cameras showed Nowak pleading with officers that he had been stabbed, which was ignored by them. The 18-year-old died at the scene.
Additionally, Digwa accused Nowak of physically and racially abusing him in a bid to justify the stabbing. This was rejected by the jury due to lack of evidence, accusing Digwa of fabricating a "false narrative" of the events.
The case has attracted attention in the UK over the carrying of Sikh ceremonial knives and whether they should be banned or not.
It has also triggered claims by right-wing politicians, including Reform UK’s Nigel Farage , that police forces implement "a two-tier policing" system, implying that the police favour one ethnic group over another when it comes to certain incidents.
Farage, as well as Robert Jenrick’s comments, have been slammed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for creating "grievance and division" with their accusations.
Starmer also condemned the violent rioting outside of Southampton Police Station, calling it "disgraceful and completely unacceptable". The demonstrations saw 11 police officers injured and two people arrested.
Rioters were seen pelting law enforcement with objects, including bricks, and setting other items on fire, such as bins. One video, published on X, showed some protesters making Nazi salutes in front of officers.