Religious festival cancelled as Southampton braces for more protests following violent clashes after murder of Henry Nowak

Published: 12:55, 6 June 2026 | Updated: 12:55, 6 June 2026 A religious festival set to be held in Southampton on Saturday has been rescheduled because of safety concerns following the sentencing of Henry Nowak's killer. The Festival of Eid in the Park, organised by Muslim community organisation Project Hidayah, was due to be held at the same time as protests following the 18-year-old's murder by Vickrum Digwa, a Sikh man. A previous demonstration on Tuesday saw protesters clash with police near where Henry was fatally stabbed by Digwa and mistakenly arrested by Hampshire police as he died. Digwa had claimed he was the victim of a racist attack by Henry before police arrived and appeared to ignore the teenager's protests that he had been stabbed and could not breathe. Protesters threw bottles and bricks during the protest, setting bins alight and injuring 11 officers as they fought to storm the police line and reach Digwa's home. To date 11 men have been charged following the unrest - four men pleaded guilty to violent disorder and a further five have been charged with the offence. One man has been charged with violent disorder and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and one has denied assaulting a police officer.  Residents said they were terrified during the protests and woke up to smashed car windows and property damage. A protester hurls a brick at police in Southampton during unrest on Tuesday after the sentencing of Henry Nowak's killer Vickrum Digwa was jailed on Monday for a minimum of 21 years after he fatally stabbed Henry and called police claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack Henry died in December last year and was handcuffed by Hampshire police officers as he bled to death despite protests that he could not breathe  The Eid event was due to take place in Hoglands Park from noon to 7pm on Saturday, the same day as Southampton Patriots were set to hold a march. Though the Patriots said their march would mark the anniversary of D-Day, it will also include a vigil for Henry Nowak in Guildhall Square and demonstrations over what they described as 'two-tier justice'. The protesters planned to meet at the Bargate at 1pm to march towards the cenotaph. Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, called for restraint and said the protests should be peaceful. He said: 'After everything Southampton has been through this week, it's time for the city to move forward together and allow the proper processes to run their course and get answers to the serious and legitimate questions being asked. 'I do of course respect people's right to protest peacefully but there must be no repeat of the appalling scenes we saw earlier this week, which were the total opposite of what Henry's family had called for. 'And as I've said already, my message to anyone who is thinking of coming to the city to stoke division and hatred is: stay away, you are not wanted here.' A spokesperson for Project Hidayah said: 'Due to safety concerns following recent events, and after discussions with the relevant authorities and venue partners, we have taken the decision to postpone this week's Festival of Eid. 'The safety of our attendees, vendors, volunteers, performers, and the wider community remains our priority.' They added: 'We appreciate your patience and understanding and thank all our sponsors, vendors, volunteers, performers, and supporters for their continued support.' Project Hidayah describes itself as 'dedicated to uniting the community through engaging and inclusive events' and says 'our mission is to foster a sense of belonging and solidarity among diverse groups'. A flare thrown at police during the demonstrations in Southampton earlier this week  Tim Tofts, chair of Southampton's Council of Faiths, said: 'These communities are concerned, it's ongoing, it's persistent. 'People are very concerned, it's very sad that people can't articulate their faith in public. I think it will blow over, it will have to.' The event, now in its tenth year, has been rescheduled for June 27 when it will include market stalls, live music, family activities and refreshments. Activities will include face painting, fun fair rides and a circus workshop alongside martial arts workshops like adult boxing and kids kickboxing. It will also feature a Nasheed artist performance from Hamzah Khan. Nasheed is an Islamic tradition of vocal music, either sung a cappella or with instruments. Some Sikh residents in the city have said they are scared to leave their houses after the violent protests. On Friday a Sikh celebration in Southampton was cancelled over safety fears following the protests. A funeral home in the city had planned to host an open afternoon for Sikh residents and the wider community with the mayor and local councillors invited to celebrate the life of Gian Singh-Chungh, who died in December 2025 at the age of 87. His wife Gurbax Kaur-Chungh died in 2014 and was also set to be honoured at the event. Tracey Burrows-Chungh, Mr Singh-Chungh's daughter-in-law who has worked as a funeral director for five years, said it had been postponed after what she described as 'riots'. She said: 'It's due to the recent events and worrying about the health and safety of our staff and the community. We're on the fence here, it's worrying times.' Ms Burrows-Chungh's husband and Mr Singh-Chungh's youngest son, Joga Chungh said his father, had he been alive, would have been 'disappointed' after Digwa murdered Henry. 'It's not something that happens regularly, thank god,' he said. 'He was part of the committee of the local Gurdwara on Cranbury Avenue, and he would not have been happy at all about the actions of a member of the Sikh community. 'There is a small minority that think that anyone that wears a turban is of the same mindset.' Demonstrators, some appearing to be holding alcohol, attacked a police van on Tuesday Fears of violence have led to the postponement of a celebration for the Muslim festival of Eid, due to be held in Southampton's Hoglands park (pictured) He added that seeing reports of other Sikhs receiving threats has led to him not going out as much as he would normally. Sikhs are a small minority in Southampton, numbering just 4,200 in a 250,000-strong population as of the last census in 2021. Nationally the census showed there were around 524,000 Sikhs in England and Wales, 0.9 per cent of the population. Southampton Solent University released a statement advising students to stay away from the area during the planned protest. A spokesperson for the university said: 'It is recommended that students avoid journeying onto our East Park Terrace on Saturday. 'If you are on campus and experience or witness any incidents please contact the relevant authorities or campus security.' Satvir Kaur, MP for Southampton Test said: 'We owe it to Henry's family to use this moment, not to sow divisions, spread hatred or tension as they've asked, but instead, come together to make our streets safer for everyone. 'Those coming into our city purely intent to cause chaos, disruption, violence and damage are not welcome. 'To hijack and politicise the tragic loss of someone's son, when they've specifically been asked by his parents not to, is beyond shameful.' John Savage, councillor for Portswood, said: 'I'm really concerned about the community.' He added: 'I find it all so sad, we need to do something to pull the community together. 'I want to put my arm around Portswood and have the community come together and heal, it's difficult to do that when people march on police stations and we have more violent disturbances.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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