Henry Nowak…….an absolute tragedy.

Because if people create a culture war around race and identity politics don't be surprised when the other side step into that war. Badenoch is saying similar( about both sides) she is right.

Galaxy

I am not calling farage progressive maremia, as I have said I don't particularly blame him for the obsession with race and other identity characteristics, I blame the progressives. I don't know what else to call them. They refuse to have any discussion or take any form of accountability, they simply shout far right and hope the issues will go away.

Farage is accountable for his "urgent address" yesterday and the divisive words that came out of his mouth. He is accountable for ignoring the express wishes of the Novak family.

Why don't you blame Farage for what he chose to say yesterday? Was he being coerced?

I am not calling farage progressive maremia, as I have said I don't particularly blame him for the obsession with race and other identity characteristics, I blame the progressives. I don't know what else to call them. They refuse to have any discussion or take any form of accountability, they simply shout far right and hope the issues will go away.

More arrests will likely/hopefully follow once CCTV footage is surveilled. Horrendous for the Novak family and innocent. Southampton residents subjected to property and car damage.

I pray this protests ends in Southampton and does not extend to other cities as happened in summer 2024. The police had stated the attack was not terrorist related. When that stabbing attacker was arrested Farage stirred up conspiracy theories by stating the police perhaps were withholding the truth about the suspect and that he was being monitored by security services. Tommy Robinson went further, accusing the government and the police of "endangering our country" etc etc. There is certainly a pattern in their behaviour ie whipping up anger, hatred, violent protest and division.

It will be interesting to see arrest police data down the line. For example the police data that became available via FOI requests year after the 2024 summer riots following the murder of those three young girls in Southport:

41% of those arrested for taking part in the summer 2024 violent disorder had previously been reported to the police for domestic abuse and crimes associated with intimate partner violence.

The policy manager at Women's Aid said about the data "a year on from the terrible Southport attacks on young girls, and as a conversation about far right protests once again starts to appear in the media, it's tempting to see these events as isolated. However, the reality is that these acts of violence are part of a wider pattern rooted in the same dynamics that drive domestic abuse and violence against women and girls, control, coercion and misogyny".

Basgetti

Seriously, Meandrogrog, why do you believe Farage/Reform would be good for the UK?

Well its me and lots of others. I am 🙏for Reform to win over Burnham.

Reform are the only chance this country has imo.

youtu.be/bYTfO3THg7g?si=8mfoWo2_2VgdyKYU

What has rees mogg said,

Galaxy, don't think I would call Farage and Co 'progressive'.
Yes, obsessed by race, but 'progressive '?

TerriBull

Unfortunately for him the proposterous "taking the knee" is an act that people remember and hasn't resonated well as to a public's perception of Starmer and where his sympathies may lie. It was a fatuous exaggerated jumping on a bandwaggon gesture that did him no favours. Undoubtedly black people are treated badly by American police but many countries around the world have similar problems, brutal police, marginalised demographics a leader should have more nous than to endorse a Cause Celebre emanating from another nation in such an outwardly posturing way. As a PM he needs to concentrate on domestic injustices particularly when they're perpetrated by our police in what sections of the public perceive as a two tier system. As others have said he leaves a void

I so agree with this. That photo of him and Rayner taking the knee made me want to 🤮wonder why he didnt do that this time for White Lives Matter?

Why? What will he bring to the job?
Will he ever attend Parliament?

Seriously, Meandrogrog, why do you believe Farage/Reform would be good for the UK?

LemonJam

Ilovecheese

As LizzieDrip says
"What a dignified statement given by Henry Novak’s grieving father.

He asked that the murder of his son does not become a cause for division. He stated that the case is not about race. He wants, quite rightly, his son’s memory to be honoured with dignity and love.

Farage et al ignored his words, ignored his feelings, and called for ‘cold hard rage’. A baying mob gave him exactly that - shouting Henry Novak’s name.

They don’t deserve to speak the name of Henry Novak."

I agree with both Lizziedrip and Ilovecheese.

Farage has shown he doesn't give 2 figs for Henry's grieving family or their wishes- instead he callously capitalises on Henry's murder, against the family's expressed request for politicians not to do so, for his own right wing populist/nationalist/ethno-nationalist political gain. Shameful.

Hopefully our next PM

Rees Mogg, anyone?
A vile racist, considering his take on the murder?

I'm appalled at the way this tragedy has been used to inflame social cohesion despite Henry Nowak's father saying very clearly that he did not want his son's murder to become about race and the Judges comments about the difficulty the police would have had to assess what was really going on. Do people really believe that throwing bottles at policemen is an appropriate response to a tragedy like this? How can it be right to think it's appropriate to use an event like this for political point scoring?

I'm aware that Henry's father did not want race riots, but from what i can gather only two arrests were made in Southampton.

So it seema people are jumping om the "vile racist" bandwagon, just as surely as those who are protesting.
Neither soothes the Nowak family, I'm sure.

Oreo

I think it’s understandable that people in Southampton would want to protest tbh and watching the video the majority of the crowd were peaceful actually.They wanted to let the police and government know how outraged they feel about this incident.
Now we also know there really is two tier policing as it’s in the police guidelines that ethnic minorities are to be treated differently.
Ethnic minorities should never be treated as second class citizens but neither should they be given advantages, anyone in the UK should be treated exactly the same before the law.

Peaceful demonstration is one thing- but that did not last long and the protest, stirred up by TR particularly and comments from Farage trigged eruption into violence.

11 officers and one police dog injured. The local MP has called for calm and said of the protesters "whipping up violence" had no place in the city.

Protesters pelted police with missiles, bottles were thrown, makeshift weapons used and damage caused to the homes and vehicles of innocent residents and threats and violence made towards the police.

There was no need to handcuff him as he was not resisting arrest, was clearly in distress; the supposed victim was not and had family support. Henry told police four times he had been stabbed; they were more concerned with 'cuffing him.

They should have used their time in an examination of his torso and calling an ambulance.

Maremia

What sort of politician calls for 'rage'?

One filled with prejudice and hate.

MissAdventure

Of course, nobody wants riots on the sfreets, or downright racists exploiting somwthing that is already heartwrenchingly sad.

Precisely- hence why Tony Robinson, Farage and Elon musk and others stirring the pot is so shameful. Precisely what the Novak family did not want.

I haven't read it no.
Howver i do know that first aid advice is to check a person over for wounds.
I didn't see that happening.
I saw his deathly white hands voing cuffed, and heard his raw, ragged voice fading away as he repeated that he couldn't breathe.

Ilovecheese

As LizzieDrip says
"What a dignified statement given by Henry Novak’s grieving father.

He asked that the murder of his son does not become a cause for division. He stated that the case is not about race. He wants, quite rightly, his son’s memory to be honoured with dignity and love.

Farage et al ignored his words, ignored his feelings, and called for ‘cold hard rage’. A baying mob gave him exactly that - shouting Henry Novak’s name.

They don’t deserve to speak the name of Henry Novak."

I agree with both Lizziedrip and Ilovecheese.

Farage has shown he doesn't give 2 figs for Henry's grieving family or their wishes- instead he callously capitalises on Henry's murder, against the family's expressed request for politicians not to do so, for his own right wing populist/nationalist/ethno-nationalist political gain. Shameful.

MissAdventure

He could have been comforted in his final moments.

Have you read the judge's summing up remarks and sentencing decision in the link which Twaddle posted.

It seems clear from the judge's remarks that the police weren't aware that these were his 'final moments'. The circumstances weren't such as to make the fatal wound immediately apparent.

It was dark and Henry was wearing a dark top. The entry damage caused by the knife through it, would not have been obvious. Whilst there was visible blood on Henry, it would not have clearly been seen coming from that wound and the clearly visible facial wound was not lifethreatening. Henry was complaining that he had been stabbed and was struggling to breathe but that would not have necessarily told the officers how serious the situation had become.

Whether or not they should have been aware may be made more clear after the inquiry into their actions.

V3ra

^The Sentencing remarks come as close as anything I've read to a motive:^

www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Digwa-Final-Sentencing-Remarks.pdf

Thank you twaddle for posting this link.
It's a very good, measured summing up by the judge and I'd recommend reading it.
Lots of details I didn't know before.

Such a tragedy for Henry and his family and friends.

Thank you also for posting the link Twaddle. The judge presided over the trial and had sight all the evidence in the case- unlike the many speculative comments on line. Such a tragedy.

It was much, much more than a 'protest' though, wasn't it?

Is calling for 'rage' incitement to violence? Should there now be a charge against Farage?