Oxford ‘patriots’ call on police to kneel for Henry Nowak

Close to 20 people were at the peaceful gathering by Carfax Tower at 6.30pm on Friday, June 5, with more set to arrive for the march on St Aldates Police Station.

Organised by Aiden Noble, he said that they wanted to “demand answers, accountability and justice for Henry Nowak”.

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The protesters join other demonstrations outside police stations in Southampton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Blackpool, Liverpool, London, and Gloucester.

Mr Noble said: “In 2020 Thames Valley Police officers kneeled for George Floyd. We want them to take a knee for Henry.”

Protesters for Henry Nowak speak to members of the public outside Carfax Tower (Image: Matthew Evans)

On Monday, June 1, 23-year old Vickrum Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Mr Nowak, in Southampton.

After the police arrived at the scene last December, they put Mr Nowak into handcuffs following an accusation of a racist attack by Digwa, despite the student saying he had been stabbed and appearing in pain.

The case has drawn comments from senior political figures across the UK, as well the US Government, and has been compared to the murder of George Floyd by an American police officer in 2020 which sparked global protests.

Darren Green, 51 (Image: Matthew Evans)

“Henry was killed in a very horrific way,” said Mr Noble, “whether there was a racist remark or not, no man should lose his life for that”.

The 27-year-old added that he was going to ask everyone in attendance to ‘take a knee’ – a gesture associated with the George Floyd protests – outside the police station.

Mr Noble and fellow attendee Darren Green, 51, both said they thought that there was ‘two-tier policing’ in the UK.

Protesters for Henry Nowak outside Carfax Tower (Image: Matthew Evans)

Politicians including Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, have said the police response to the murder was evidence of this and had been caused by anti-racism guidance.

Mr Farage and others have said that the police guidance encourages officers to treat people differently because of their race, and Mr Green agreed.

He said: “They wouldn’t have done that if it was a black person or Asian person but because he played the race card the police believed him.”

The protester added that he was very willing to take a knee for Mr Nowak.

Geoff Taylor, 69, or Stand Up to Racism (Image: Matthew Evans)

“The police should do it as well,” he said, and added: “Everyone was willing to take the knee for George Floyd. He wasn’t even British.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other government figures have rejected the idea of ‘two-tier policing’ and have accused Mr Farage or exploiting the murder for political gain.

Geoff Taylor, a representative of Stand Up to Racism, was watching the protest and also expressed his sadness at the “awful” death.

However he did not agree with the tone of the protest which included placards saying ‘White Lives Matter’.

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“They want to weaponise things,” the 69-year-old said, “to suit their civic nationalist agenda”.

Although he agreed that there is two-tier policing, he said that the group has it the wrong way around.

Referring to the likelihood to be stopped and searched as well as arrested, he said: “It is against black and brown people.”

On the potential of the ‘patriots’ taking a knee for Mr Nowak he called it “somewhat disrespectful and hypocritical”.