British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the protests and subsequent violence that erupted after the killing of 18-year-old Henry Novak, who was stabbed to death by a 23-year-old Sikh man in December, reports “Reuters“, quoted by BTA.
Starmer described the use of the incident to incite tension as “unforgivable“ and said that “there is no justification for further violence and disorder“. His comments came after 11 police officers were injured in clashes between protesters and police in Southampton.
“It is time for serious work, not rage“, the prime minister added, also criticising Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who called for “pure cold fury“ in response to the killing.
According to Farage, public discontent could escalate if trust in the police was undermined.
The killer initially misled police by claiming he was the victim of a racist attack, which led to the injured student being arrested at the scene. The perpetrator was later sentenced to life in prison.
The incident and the subsequent police actions caused a strong public and political response in Britain.