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What needs to happen to stop violent protest on the streets of Southampton against the police and to stop agitators wrongly targeting police officers on line with death threats?

(176 Posts)
LemonJam Wed 03-Jun-26 16:56:30

A video currently features on Guardian UK news on line showing TR and others in violent protest against Southampton police officers.

What words and actions would you like to see and hear from political and community leaders to calm down the tensions?

A Hampshire constabulary spokesperson said: “We know there has been significant commentary following the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa and we recognise the desire for answers about the police response that night. “However, what we cannot accept is the significant spread of misinformation online by those intent on causing further fear and division by making threats to officers and sharing names that are simply not true.
“A police officer unrelated to this case has been misidentified online and subject to death threats.

“The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is continuing its independent investigation into our response on the night in question, following our self-referral the next day. While that progresses, we ask that people avoid harmful speculation online.”

A police officer has moved out of their home with their family to a place of safety. Officers responding to the violent protests are not available for usual policing duties.

Hopefully this violent protest won't spread to other UK cities as occurred in the summer 2024 violent protests after the Southport stabbing. X has been approached by the Guardian for comment.

Galaxy Thu 04-Jun-26 06:56:26

So there were 27 police officers injured ( in this country) following the George Floyd murder, so presumably those who politicised that death were responsible for those injuries.

twaddle Thu 04-Jun-26 06:59:07

nanna8

I think it is time everyone was treated equally and with respect. That might help. To my mind those police were exactly what they were trying not to be - racist. White lives matter, Black Lives Matter and so do any lives in between. Time the government realised and acknowledged this.

The irony is that there is still evidence that blacks are discriminated against by the police, but I agree that everybody should be treated equally. The likes of Farage just wait for an opportunity to point the finger and claim that whites are treated unfavourably.

There is no doubt that individual police officers mishandled this case. Even if Henry Nowak had been racist, the police owed him a duty of care without fear nor favour.

That doesn't mean that the whole system is rotten, no matter how much Farage and his ilk go on. The way he behaved yesterday in Parliament was disgraceful, completely ignoring Mr Nowak's plea. If ever proof were needed that he doesn't care one jot about the victims, but exploits these cases for his own purpose, that was it.

twaddle Thu 04-Jun-26 07:01:14

Galaxy

So there were 27 police officers injured ( in this country) following the George Floyd murder, so presumably those who politicised that death were responsible for those injuries.

This thread isn't about George Floyd. How about having some respect for Henry Nowak?

Galaxy Thu 04-Jun-26 07:05:17

Presumably it isnt about Farage, Germany in 1945, Elon Musk. How about having some respect.

Kandinsky Thu 04-Jun-26 07:22:00

This thread isn't about George Floyd. How about having some respect for Henry Nowak

But you can’t stop people comparing the two cases.
The general public don’t need NF or TR to get angry about how differently our politicians have reacted ( Starmer in particular as he’s now our PM )
They were falling over themselves to show respect for a criminal in a completely different country. An innocent young man treated the same way in our own country ………nothing.
That’s why people are angry.

I can’t begin to imagine what would be happening in this country now if Henry Nowak had been black.

Casdon Thu 04-Jun-26 07:43:44

There are two issues I think.
Farage was way out of order in making a speech that effectively condoned rioting against the police, it showed his lack of political nous, and he has been widely condemned for doing so.
We know from history that riots happen when people are disaffected, and there are always ringleaders, whether they be right, left or a faction of one kind or another. Ringleaders are accountable, as are others who commit acts of violence - I don’t think as a phenomena we will ever stop them unless there is a dictatorship, heaven forbid.

David49 Thu 04-Jun-26 07:46:24

The violence is entirely due to the way the story has been presented in the media making it far worse.

Having been told there was a knife attack by Nowak the first thing police would do would be to secure the alleged attacker which is why he was handcuffed

I dont see any racism they followed normal caution and secured the alleged attacker. If you're told someone has a knife you make sure he can't use it on you

MissAdventure Thu 04-Jun-26 07:52:53

Even on this thread, things have changed, in that people are now accepting that possibly police were at fault, whether intentionally, or as a result of training, indtutionsl racism, or perhaps something else.

The protests, which i believe would have taken place with or without Farage, have meant that the whole thing hasn't been swept neatly under the carpet.

"It was chaos; the police didn't know what had happened".
"Murders happen every day, why us this any different?"

Galaxy Thu 04-Jun-26 07:59:48

What do you mean David. The 999 call from the murderer specifically said it was a verbal attack and his turban had been pulled off. The murderer specifically said no weapons ( which was a lie he was the one with knives).

GrannyGravy13 Thu 04-Jun-26 08:01:04

Galaxy 👍

MaizieD Thu 04-Jun-26 08:03:48

I knew I should have followed my first instinct and kept away from this thread because I knew it would come down to racism in the end.

I suspect, in fact I’m almost positive, that had Nowak’s murderer been white the case would have been completely unremarked.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 04-Jun-26 08:06:23

MaizieD

I knew I should have followed my first instinct and kept away from this thread because I knew it would come down to racism in the end.

I suspect, in fact I’m almost positive, that had Nowak’s murderer been white the case would have been completely unremarked.

A white person complaining that another white person had racially abused them, how would that have worked ?

Kandinsky Thu 04-Jun-26 08:15:58

I knew I should have followed my first instinct and kept away from this thread because I knew it would come down to racism in the end

Can’t believe I just read that!
It came down to racism because the murderer brought race into it hmm

Primrose53 Thu 04-Jun-26 08:32:04

Kandinsky

*This thread isn't about George Floyd. How about having some respect for Henry Nowak*

But you can’t stop people comparing the two cases.
The general public don’t need NF or TR to get angry about how differently our politicians have reacted ( Starmer in particular as he’s now our PM )
They were falling over themselves to show respect for a criminal in a completely different country. An innocent young man treated the same way in our own country ………nothing.
That’s why people are angry.

I can’t begin to imagine what would be happening in this country now if Henry Nowak had been black.

Spot on Kadinsky.

The anger and disruption involved in the George Floyd case went on for weeks. We all remember statues being smashed, being thrown into the water, buildings defaced, protests, marches etc. It just went on and on which was madness as it didn’t even happen in this country.

The Police here have really messed up big time. I have just been watching a female former Police Officer who has had to leave her home due to threats after she was wrongly accused of being at the scene of Henry’s murder. She wasn’t even a serving PO at the time and agreed with the interviewer that all the Police had to do was put out a statement naming her and saying she had never been involved but they didn’t. She doesn’t know why they didn’t either.

Boz Thu 04-Jun-26 08:46:50

The Times to-day.

A number of officers in the force responsible for the arrest of Henry Nowak felt “controlled and pressured to feel certain ways” after receiving mandatory diversity training, a survey has revealed.

The courses taught Hampshire & Isle of Wight constabulary officers and staff about racism, “unconscious bias”, “privilege and the importance of being an ally”.

A staff survey found that one in seven officers and staff (15 per cent) had felt “controlled and pressured” to adopt certain ideas in the sessions and the same number thought “mistakes would have been held against me”. A fifth said they feared being “rejected for saying the wrong thing”.

Boz Thu 04-Jun-26 08:52:54

Apparently, you can download and read Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary Race Action Plan 2024-2026. Two-tier Policing is there in black and white, and Starmer is using the Nowak family to shut down debate.

Maremia Thu 04-Jun-26 08:57:13

Talk about saying the wrong thing!
What Farage said was wrong.
He even made a rare visit to Parliament (his day job) to reinforce it.
Even Kemi B saw through him.

Wyllow3 Thu 04-Jun-26 09:05:30

Yes, she did a good job.

Look, I think its spot on to have diversity and hidden bias training as regards women and minorities.

There has been so much evidence in the police in the past and it's still found today, if more rarely, of blatant sexism or racism. Our police forces need the basis to understand it

What we have just learned is that a very very bad decision was made in this case, not to "throw the baby out with the bathwater".

MissAdventure Thu 04-Jun-26 09:08:41

And the bbc have has fo apolgise to him for stating that he called for people to react with cold, white rage. (Or fury: can't remember the exact wording, but it said notjing about "white")
As if any thinking person needs farage to instruct them how to feel, anyway.

MissAdventure Thu 04-Jun-26 09:13:00

Oh, my spelling.. blush

REKA Thu 04-Jun-26 09:13:50

Having been told there was a knife attack by Nowak the first thing police would do would be to secure the alleged attacker

This is totally fake news. Why comment without knowing the actual facts, David?

MissAdventure Thu 04-Jun-26 09:15:59

I agree.
A few people agreed with David, too.
It isn't what hapened though.

Mamie Thu 04-Jun-26 09:47:23

I also suspect that there may well be influences involved to destabilise the country using social media and audiovisual media, by sources from beyond the UK.
The meme of the photos of George Floyd and of Starmer taking the knee combined with erroneous allegations that the Prime Minister had been silent on the Nowak case, makes me very suspicious.

Silvershadow Thu 04-Jun-26 09:56:10

Diversity training has been going on for years, it’s nothing new. In local government if you were called for interviews for any job they always had those questions in there. If you didn’t answer correctly you didn’t get the job, regardless of how good you were. This was in the 80’s so it’s nothing new. Look at the BBC, they are obsessed with it.

Silvershadow Thu 04-Jun-26 09:57:25

Mamie

I also suspect that there may well be influences involved to destabilise the country using social media and audiovisual media, by sources from beyond the UK.
The meme of the photos of George Floyd and of Starmer taking the knee combined with erroneous allegations that the Prime Minister had been silent on the Nowak case, makes me very suspicious.

He did take the knee. So did Rayner. Nothing questionable about it. Footballers were also made to take the knee in every match.