Protests over the murder of Henry Nowak in December 2025 descended into violence on Tuesday, with far-right figures in America seeking to exploit the situation as evidence of antiwhite racism. Hundreds gathered in anger outside Southampton Central Police Station, where officers were attacked with rocks and flares after bodycam footage showed Nowak being handcuffed while lying down, apparently stabbed.

The 18-year-old's father, Keir Starmer, called the police’s actions ‘inhumane and degrading’ but said they did not wish to use their son's death for further division. However, within hours, influential far-right figures began spreading conspiracy theories online, stoking tensions and claiming the murder was proof of systemic racism against whites.

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, posted multiple times about the case, offering to fund the prosecution of involved officers and even sharing a video from Tommy Robinson, a British agitator, calling for people to protest outside Southampton Central Police State. The UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, condemned those seeking to ‘stir up violence and disorder’.

Far-right figures in America continued to push the antiwhite narrative, with Matt Walsh comparing Nowak’s murder to George Floyd and Nick Fuentes calling it 'the white George Floyd'. This is not the first time Musk or far-right voices have been accused of inciting violence in Europe; they were blamed for anti-immigration riots in 2024 and calls for civil war in Ireland in 2023.