Nazi salutes, Sikhs abused: Tensions soar in UK after Henry Nowak’s murder

London, United Kingdom – Sikh groups moved quickly to condemn the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, despite not being responsible for the actions of his killer, 23-year-old Sikh man, Vickrum Digwa. But the British far right, which increasingly exploits crime cases in order to rally, has weaponised the case. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station before marching towards Digwa’s family home in a diverse neighbourhood. Several far-right figures, including Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, UKIP leader Nick Tenconi and Laurence Fox, addressed the crowd. Violence broke out, with missiles hurled at police officers and vehicles damaged. Some performed Nazi salutes while shouting “white power”. “When the news [of Nowak’s murder] broke, there was shock and grief. How could such a senseless individual commit such a murderous attack and be from the Sikh community?” Jas Singh, principal adviser to the Sikh Federation UK, told Al Jazeera. Henry Nowak, 18, was stabbed five times but police ignored his pleas for help [File: Isabel Infantes/Reuters On Monday, Henry Nowak’s grieving father spoke outside the court that had just sentenced Digwa. “This is not a case about Sikhism. This is not a case about racism. This is a case about murder,” said Mark Nowak. On December 3, Henry Nowak had joined friends to celebrate the end of his first term at the University of Southampton. …