After the violent scenes on the streets of Southampton at a demonstration following the verdict in trial of Henry Nowak’s murder, the huge police presence on the streets of Portswood and beyond yesterday (20/6/26) was unsurprising.
And it was a relief that the UKIP/Southampton Patriots vigil and march and Stand Up To Racism/community groups counter-demonstration went off peacefully.
The day started in Portswood, where the two groups were kept separate by police, many of whom had been drafted in from elsewhere, but within sight of each other, with the group led by UKIP’s Nick Tenconi gathered at the junction of Belmont Road and St Denys Road, and the counter-demonstrators gathered at the fork in St Denys Road, next to Trago Lounge pub.
Although Nick Tenconi later claimed on social media to have taken over Southampton, there were 100 or so in the UKIP demonstration, with around 170 in the counter demonstration.
Several ‘auditors’ made their way from the UKIP group to film the other gathering up close from behind the police line, with one demanding to know how they could oppose what was happening down the street and calling them racists before the police stepped in.
It was, in fact, a question that Southampton Stand Up To Racism had already answered, in the days prior to the demonstration.
“We remain deeply concerned that far-right groups continue to exploit grief and anger for their own political purposes,” they said in a press release on June 18th.
“The first so-called “protest” on 2 June was called by the Southampton “Patriots” and supported by Tommy Robinson and other far-right agitators. It resulted in violence, disorder and intimidation that left local residents frightened, businesses affected, police officers assaulted and communities traumatised. These are scenes that have no place in Southampton or anywhere else.
“Now, on Saturday 20 June, the Southampton “Patriots” have announced that they intend to join a further protest in Portswood, led by UKIP and its leader, Nick Tenconi. The protest is returning to the very community that bore the brunt of the previous violence and intimidation.
Southampton deserves better than inflammatory demonstrations that heighten tensions while claiming to speak for our communities.”
The demonstration and counter demonstration were, whilst in Portswood, fairly quiet, and those not directly involved could have remained unaware of it, were it not for the heavy police presence and rolling road blocks as police held up traffic to allow the UKIP/Southampton Patriots march to pass through the streets.
Whilst the UKIP/Southampton Patriots group marched from Portswood to Southampton Central Police Station, the counter demonstrators had made the decision not to march, as on previous occasions, but to have a static demonstration.
Both groups followed the instructions of the police and stuck to the route/area assigned to them
Union Jacks and St George Cross flags featured heavily amongst the UKIP/Southampton Patriots demonstrators. Many wore Southampton Patriots t-shirts. Some held signs referencing ‘two tier policing,’’ a banner proclaimed ‘no justice – no peace’ whilst others held wooden crosses aloft, whilst others in the group held mobile phones, seemingly filming the whole thing. One protester appeared to be dressed as St George, complete with chain mail and a metal helmet, which must have been sweltering on the humid June day.
Those on the community unity counter-demonstration held banners including ‘women against the far right’, and ‘Southampton Stand Up To Racism’ alongside signs saying ‘no to racist riots,’ No violence in Henry’s name’ (echoing the words of Henry’s father), ‘true patriots fight fascism’ and ‘stop the far right’.
Both groups remained silent, with many of both sets of protesters along with police bowing their heads for the three-minute silence in memory of Henry Nowak.
Nick Tenconi announced to his followers that they would be silent for the first half of their march and the group set off quietly, watched equally quietly by the counter-demonstrators, who later began to bang drums and play instruments as the march disappeared around the corner of Highfield Lane, dispersing shortly after.
The march travelled along the back streets of Portswood and down the Avenue, pausing on the steps of Southampton Crown Court for Nick Tenconi to address the crowd.
As the group switched out of the silent phase of their procession, a range of chants, largely led by Nick Tenconi on his microphone, rang out from the crowd. Although the event was billed as a service, vigil and march for Henry Nowak, few of the chants related to the tragedy. Confusingly, they included the transphobic ‘If you’re born with a willy you’re a man’, alongside ‘left wing scum off our streets’, as well as more predictable chants such as ‘tell the nation – deportation’.
“When I say ‘boats’, you say ‘send them home’ Nick Tenconi instructed the crowd through his microphone as they marched past Southampton’s Sea City Museum.
The gathering seemed to have strayed some way from its advertised purpose – a ‘service, vigil and march’ demanding justice for Henry Nowak – and into an opportunity to air more general grievances – against migrants and ‘the left.’ Tackling knife crime didn’t seem to be high on anyone’s agenda, and given the focus on migrants, many were, perhaps, overlooking the fact that Henry Nowak’s killer is British.
The group marched to Southampton Central Police Station where Nick Tenconi addressed the crowd, bookending his speech with The Lord’s Prayer.
He covered a range of topics including reintroducing the death penalty, mass deportations of so called ‘illegal migrants’ who he described as ‘terrorists in waiting,’ alongside Communists, who, he somewhat outlandishly suggested, he intends to deport to North Korea, should UKIP form a government, referencing ‘Christian martyrs’ and speaking about ‘launching a spiritual crusade.’
Further speeches were given before the crowd dispersed, the roads, which had been closed whilst the demonstration took place, were reopened and life in Southampton carried on much as it always does on a Saturday afternoon.
* Updated 22/6/26.
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