UK PM Starmer Urges Calm After Protests Over Handcuffed Student’s Death
By Sarah Young and Kate Holton
LONDON, June 3 (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday denounced the violent protests that followed the death of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed as he lay dying after his killer falsely claimed a racist attack. Starmer called it “unforgivable” to exploit the tragedy to stoke tensions.
Nowak’s murder last year has dominated UK headlines since his killer, Vickrum Digwa, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday. Bodycam footage showing officers ignoring Nowak’s pleas as he was handcuffed and gasping for air has sparked a political firestorm over how police treat different ethnicities.
“There is no justification for more violence and disorder,” Starmer said, after clashes in Southampton left 11 police officers injured on Tuesday night. “This is a time for serious work, not rage,” he added in a direct rebuke to Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing anti-immigration Reform Party, who had urged the public to respond with “pure cold rage” and warned that anger could spread if faith in the police erodes.
Reflect on Father’s Call for Calm
In the attack last December, Digwa, 23, lied to police by saying Nowak had racially abused and assaulted him during a brief street altercation. Bodycam footage shows Nowak lying on the ground saying, “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe” as officers handcuff him. One officer responds, “I don’t think you have, mate.”
Digwa was sentenced to life in prison on Monday. Court pathologists later determined that Nowak would have died from his injuries regardless of the emergency response. Officers eventually called an ambulance and performed CPR.
Nowak’s family described his treatment by police as “inhumane and degrading,” but after the sentencing they urged that his death should not be “used to create further division, hatred or tension.” Starmer echoed that sentiment, saying, “We all need to reflect on those words of Henry’s father,” while adding that he does not believe Britain operates a “two-tier policing” system.
Police Ethnicity Guidelines Under Review
Farage, along with others on the right including U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, have argued that diversity and inclusion efforts within institutions such as the police have created a two-tiered system, where fears of being called racist lead to ethnic minorities receiving greater protections. Musk, a vocal critic of the UK government, has posted repeatedly about the case. Once a Farage supporter, he now endorses the further-right Restore party, which could siphon votes from Reform in a local election later this month.
In the wake of the Nowak case, British police chiefs said they would review guidelines drawn up in response to well-documented incidents of racism in policing. Those guidelines had advised officers to treat ethnicities differently in certain situations. Starmer said there were “serious questions to answer” about how accusations of racism informed police thinking, and an independent investigation into police conduct is underway.
Hampshire Police has apologized for its handling of Nowak’s death. One officer resigned last year; that officer and three others are being treated as witnesses in the investigation.
Farage, whose party has led opinion polls for more than a year, attempted to draw parallels with the 2020 killing of George Floyd in the United States, which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, contrasting it with what he described as a muted response to Nowak’s death. Floyd had also said “I can’t breathe” as a police officer knelt on his neck.
The case has reignited long-running debates about institutional racism in British policing, with critics arguing that well-intentioned guidelines aimed at addressing bias may have unintended consequences. As the investigation continues, both political and public pressure is mounting for clearer answers.
(Reporting by Sarah Young and Kate Holton, additional reporting by Muvija M and Marissa Davison; Editing by Sharon Singleton)