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Or sign-in if you have an account.Demonstrators surge at Police officers near Portswood Police Station in Southampton, southern England, on June 2, 2026, during a protest held in reaction to the Police's handling of the detention of victim Henry Nowak, following the conviction of his murderer Vickrum Digwa. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)The senseless murder of teenager Henry Nowak on a cold, dark British street is doubly tragic: he was both the innocent target of a determined knifeman and the victim of incompetent police officers indoctrinated in anti-racism dogma.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorNowak, who was white, bled to death as he lay helpless on a gravel driveway, handcuffed and arrested by police who disbelieved he had been stabbed multiple times in favour of his killer, who was brown and played the race card.There are parallels between the deaths of Nowak and George Floyd five years earlier, and a more troubling connection — it was the death of Floyd in Minnesota in 2020 that gave rise to the so-called progressive anti-racism training that proved so flawed and disturbing on a U.K. street last December.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againSenior police chiefs in the U.K. have vowed to revisit an “Anti-Racism Commitment” document compiled last year by experts with — no surprise here — “decades of experience of working on diversity, equality and inclusion issues in policing.”The document, along with the accumulation of years of anti-racism policies since the death of Floyd, sowed the seeds for the tragic events that led to the death of 18-year-old Nowak, a first year university student described by his family as smart, funny and kind.The document is studded with the DEI creed.“It is not enough for us to not be racist or to claim not to be racist,” says the document, in a preamble to what we know is coming. “Anti-racism demands that we are proactive.”And so under the heading “Our commitment to racial equity” the document talks about treating ethnic minorities differently in order to produce “equality of policing outcomes.”The shocking, and perhaps the only conclusion from this policy, is stated baldly: “It does not mean treating everyone ‘the same’ or being ‘colour blind’ (racial equality).”It is no wonder that Britain is now being gripped by a debate about two-tier justice and reverse racism.But Canada is not immune from this debate as police chiefs here have incorporated many of the same anti-racist policies.“Anti-racist policy is any measure that produces or sustains equity between racial groups,” reads document before the equity, diversity and inclusion committee of the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs. As in the U.K., equity does not mean equality.The document also notes that being “colour blind” is merely a way to deny racism.Another CACP teaching guide says being “anti-racist” is more than being “not racist” and that reverse racism targeting white people “is not possible.”It is unfortunate, but with the same anti-racism policies in place in the U.K. and Canada, Nowak might well have received the same treatment here.Nowak was walking home after a night out with friends — his blood alcohol level was below the legal limit for driving — when there was an altercation on the street with a Sikh, Vickrum Digwa.Digwa attacked Nowak with a 21cm ceremonial knife, stabbing the unarmed teen five times.When the police were called, Digwa claimed he was the victim of racial abuse from Nowak — the judge who jailed him for life for murder dismissed that as a “wicked” lie.When officers arrived Nowak was helpless on the ground, but spurred on by the allegation of racism it was Nowak who was treated as the criminal.In an echo of Floyd who died saying, “I can’t breathe,” Nowak in a hoarse voice told officers nine times, “I can’t breathe” and multiple times said, “I’ve been stabbed.”In harrowing body cam footage released on Monday, a police officer responded to Nowak’s claim of being stabbed by saying, “I don’t think you have, mate,” and putting him in handcuffs. As Nowak bled out, officers arrested him for assault and read him his rights.Mark Nowak, Henry’s father, read a statement after Digwa was convicted, accusing the police of “inhumane and degrading” treatment.And he pointed that, unlike his son, Digwa was “afforded decency” — he was never handcuffed after being arrested for murder and at the police station was taken to the kitchen to choose his food.“The contrast is unbearable,” said Mark Nowak.Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage has ignited a political firestorm with claims of two-tier policing and calling on people to respond with “pure cold rage” to Nowak’s death.After riots in Southampton on Tuesday night, Farage said, “The division will get far worse. What you saw in Southampton last night is the beginning.”Farage has been accused of political opportunism and is such a lightning rod that many people might be inclined to dismiss his comments.However, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader of the Opposition, was more measured in her comments while making similar points.It wasn’t about Black Lives Matter, she said, “Everyone matters.”Badenoch said after the death of Floyd there had been an “overcorrection” which had caused problems.“I think the training that many of these police officers are having don’t have commonsense in them. We need to bring back commonsense. You don’t need to be trained on racism or anti-racism to have seen what Henry was experiencing and know that he needed help,” she said.Vickrum Digwa killed Nowak, but the teen’s torturous, indecent, shameful and appalling last moments on earth were because of brainwashed police officers fed a diet of progressive, anti-racism propaganda.National Post Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.