Anti-immigration protesters rally in Southampton after murder case and Belfast attack

Demonstrators outside the Highfield House Hotel carried national flags and banners while chanting slogans including “Send them home” and “Deportation.” The protest later moved into the city centre, where police attempted to restrict access to certain streets before the crowd returned to the hotel.

A counter-demonstration organised by Southampton Stand Up Against Racism also took place. Police maintained a separation between the two groups before the counter-protest dispersed.

The demonstrations followed the sentencing of 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 21 years, for the murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton last December.

The case drew national attention after police bodycam footage emerged showing Nowak telling officers he had been stabbed while being detained at the scene. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has since called for an urgent review of laws governing the carrying of bladed articles for religious and ceremonial purposes, saying mistakes made during the incident should be examined.

Tensions were further heightened by a knife attack in Belfast on Monday in which a man was seriously injured after being slashed in the head and neck. Video of the incident circulated widely on social media.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack as “sickening.” Police arrested a 30-year-old Sudanese national in connection with the Belfast attack and said there was currently no evidence to suggest it was terrorism-related.

According to police, the suspect travelled from Sudan to Paris before entering Ireland through Dublin and later moving to Belfast, where he sought asylum and was granted permission to remain.