In Britain last December, 18-year-old Henry Nowak was stabbed five times. The police arrived more than 15 minutes later, appearing more concerned that the murderer might’ve been the victim of a racist assault than with Nowak’s well-being. Nowak was arrested, even as he told officers nine times, “I can’t breathe.” An hour later, he was pronounced dead.
“In a mirror image of events six years ago, the case led to accusations of anti-white institutional racism, angry protests on the streets of Southampton, and politicians publicly declaring sympathy for Nowak’s family,” Joanna Williams writes. Beyond that, though, further comparisons to the American response to George Floyd’s death don’t line up. In 2020, British celebrities joined Americans in blacking out their social media; people across the U.K. took to the streets to protest, ignoring pandemic restrictions; policemen and politicians took the knee; violence broke out.
“In contrast, the response to Henry Nowak’s murder has been notably muted: no celebrities have expressed sympathy, and no politicians have knelt in solidarity,” Williams writes. Read more. |