Some performed Nazi salutes while shouting
“white power”...the Sikh Federation, criticised politicians from the far-right
Reform UK and Restore Britain parties for drawing attention to Digwa’s religion and his kirpan...The court heard the murder weapon was not a kirpan but a separate Persian-style dagger that Digwa chose to carry.
Jayanti Shah, an antiracism campaigner who has lived in Southampton since 1968, said the atmosphere in the city has been deteriorating since 2024, when race
riots swept across the country after the murder of three girls in Southport -
“For the past two years, I haven’t gone out in the dark as a safety measure,” he said, adding that recent demonstrations “caused havoc” and made residents scared to leave their homes.
Ali Haydor, a taxi driver in Southampton, said far-right demonstrations are not a new phenomenon in the city and have erupted before over a nearby hotel housing asylum seekers. He has also suffered an increasing level of racist abuse from passengers.
“We are used to marches, but what happened the other night was different,” he said.
“It was much more confrontational. It felt like people were being directly targeted.”
A community Eid celebration was postponed over safety concerns, parents are making alternative arrangements to avoid unnecessary travel, and an Afghan pupil at a local school was subjected to a racist slur.
“People of colour are doing things differently now,” Haydor said.
“Children are getting lifts home from school instead of walking. People are avoiding public transport where they can.”