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Politics

What do you think of Lammy's comments on taking the knee?

189 replies

ForSnappySwan · 05/06/2026 12:29

David Lammy has said he wouldn't take the knee for Nowak as it's just symbolism.

He was asked why did he take the knee for George Floyd, and he said it was different then because we were in a pandemic.

What do you think? I think he's right about the first point but don't understand what the knee has got to do with the pandemic.

There was another Labour MP on Newsnight this week who's clearly embarrassed that she took the knee and said something like "it was right then but that's in the past now and we shouldn't go back to it"

OP posts:
5MinuteArgument · 08/06/2026 13:49

Authenticgreekyogurt · 06/06/2026 11:13

There is a possibility that handcuffing him did contribute to his death though, which would call the comments by the judge exonerating the police actions into question. Obviously the fault lies with the killer and his family and hopefully these questions will be answered at the inquest but I think it's legitimate to question these things.
I have copied and pasted this from another thread
Could Henry Nowak have survived? Dr. Krzysztof Magier
@DrMagier
, a pediatrician and former honorary consul of the Republic of Poland in Cowes, analyzed footage from a police body camera showing Henry Nowak's death. Dr. Magier heads the pediatric intensive care unit, with experience in combat medicine training and a specialized course in treating severe injuries (including gunshot and stab wounds). He disagrees with the pathologist's and judge's opinion that Henry Nowak had no chance of survival and that handcuffing him essentially changed nothing. On the contrary—there is a high likelihood that the police intervention contributed to his death. He analyzed the autopsy report, which points to damage to the subclavian vein as the main source of bleeding, and explains where the problem lies. In a healthy person, venous bleeding occurs under low pressure and often self-limits thanks to the naturally forming clot, while simply approximating the wound edges and compressing the surrounding tissues closes the vein enough to slow or even stop the bleeding. The body camera footage shows that when police arrived on the scene (likely 5-10 minutes after the injury), Henry was conscious enough to speak quite loudly. He was therefore not yet in a terminal state. After his arms were twisted behind his back and handcuffed, the vein was most likely stretched, the clot torn, and bleeding dramatically intensified. Within just about three minutes, he lost consciousness and died. People with suspected internal injuries should never be moved or yanked abruptly—such actions can destroy the natural clot and lead to massive internal hemorrhage. Instead of immediately calling a medical rescue team and handing the patient over to paramedics, the police handcuffed him. If paramedics had arrived first on the scene, Henry’s chances of survival would have been much higher. "50%"—writes Dr. Magier. Paramedics could have quickly started an IV, administered fluids to increase circulating blood volume, and tranexamic acid to stabilize the clot, and if needed, performed needle decompression (inserting a large, long needle into the lung), because the issue wasn’t so much lack of lung function, but compression of the blood-filled lung on the heart and mediastinum, which blocks circulation. Worse still, the incident took place just a few minutes' drive by car (2–3 minutes by ambulance with sirens) from Southampton University Hospital—a regional Major Trauma Centre equipped with a full team of specialists, procedures, and equipment. "I am convinced that if Henry had arrived there alive, the doctors would not have let him die"—writes Dr. Magier. In summary: the aggressive police intervention, instead of saving a life, led to death through improper handling of a severely injured person, even though world-class care was just minutes away. "I fear the Judge and pathologist were too lenient toward the police"—writes Dr. Magier.
Based on this there is a possibility, despite the delay by the family in calling the police, that had the police accepted Henry claim of being stabbed and called an ambulance, he might have survived, especially as the hospital was only 5 minutes away.

I agree. The authorities were very hasty in their assessment that Henry could not have been saved, even if he'd been treated appropriately as a victim of stabbing, instead of as a racist criminal.

I find it very suspicious and the MSM being so quick to go along with this is very dubious too.

mumumental · 07/06/2026 18:09

I think there are far bigger issues to discuss.

YesAndThenAgainNo · 07/06/2026 17:54

BeardySchnauzer · 05/06/2026 17:53

I think this it’s really important that police etc are challenged on this

as an example, black mothers are more likely to die in labour and there is nothing to explain this other than difference in treatment due to their race. This has not changed despite the NHS spending a shed load of money on DEI.

if society wants to reduce negative outcomes due to prejudice then another way has to be found because the current DEI industry is not achieving that goal and, given this case, is potentially making things worse

That’s not quite accurate. While prejudice cannot be ruled out as a contributing factor it’s not the only one.

Other differences include BMI, pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, poverty rates, some heart conditions, communication barriers and a prejudice within certain communities against allowing state-sponsored intervention.

The statistics quoted include deaths related to domestic abuse, and there too there can be differences in prevalence between communities.

OpheliaWasntMad · 06/06/2026 16:51

Bromptotoo · 06/06/2026 16:31

Sorry, but no similarity.

I’m not claiming the situations are similar in every respect but they are both situations which suggest that the police are overly concerned about accusations of racism and this affects their judgment.
I was responding to
“What happened to him was appalling, but to pretend on the account of this one incident that the police are 'too woke' and 'anti white' when compared with the masses of wrongful arrests and disproportionate deaths in custody of people of colour reported over decades”

it’s not just one isolated instance of police ignoring the allegations of a white victim.

Edited for xlarity

Bromptotoo · 06/06/2026 16:31

OpheliaWasntMad · 06/06/2026 15:00

It’s not just one incident though. The girls abused by the rape gangs in Rotherham and elsewhere were also ignored and disbelieved by police who often believed the abusers .

Sorry, but no similarity.

OpheliaWasntMad · 06/06/2026 15:00

Echobelly · 06/06/2026 11:08

I think it's different because Floyd's death was representative of institutional police racism and violence, and Nowak's death was the result of awful incompetence and callousness of the individual officers.

What happened to him was appalling, but to pretend on the account of this one incident that the police are 'too woke' and 'anti white' when compared with the masses of wrongful arrests and disproportionate deaths in custody of people of colour reported over decades and decades, it's not justified to treat it the same way.

It’s not just one incident though. The girls abused by the rape gangs in Rotherham and elsewhere were also ignored and disbelieved by police who often believed the abusers .

Authenticgreekyogurt · 06/06/2026 11:13

There is a possibility that handcuffing him did contribute to his death though, which would call the comments by the judge exonerating the police actions into question. Obviously the fault lies with the killer and his family and hopefully these questions will be answered at the inquest but I think it's legitimate to question these things.
I have copied and pasted this from another thread
Could Henry Nowak have survived? Dr. Krzysztof Magier
@DrMagier
, a pediatrician and former honorary consul of the Republic of Poland in Cowes, analyzed footage from a police body camera showing Henry Nowak's death. Dr. Magier heads the pediatric intensive care unit, with experience in combat medicine training and a specialized course in treating severe injuries (including gunshot and stab wounds). He disagrees with the pathologist's and judge's opinion that Henry Nowak had no chance of survival and that handcuffing him essentially changed nothing. On the contrary—there is a high likelihood that the police intervention contributed to his death. He analyzed the autopsy report, which points to damage to the subclavian vein as the main source of bleeding, and explains where the problem lies. In a healthy person, venous bleeding occurs under low pressure and often self-limits thanks to the naturally forming clot, while simply approximating the wound edges and compressing the surrounding tissues closes the vein enough to slow or even stop the bleeding. The body camera footage shows that when police arrived on the scene (likely 5-10 minutes after the injury), Henry was conscious enough to speak quite loudly. He was therefore not yet in a terminal state. After his arms were twisted behind his back and handcuffed, the vein was most likely stretched, the clot torn, and bleeding dramatically intensified. Within just about three minutes, he lost consciousness and died. People with suspected internal injuries should never be moved or yanked abruptly—such actions can destroy the natural clot and lead to massive internal hemorrhage. Instead of immediately calling a medical rescue team and handing the patient over to paramedics, the police handcuffed him. If paramedics had arrived first on the scene, Henry’s chances of survival would have been much higher. "50%"—writes Dr. Magier. Paramedics could have quickly started an IV, administered fluids to increase circulating blood volume, and tranexamic acid to stabilize the clot, and if needed, performed needle decompression (inserting a large, long needle into the lung), because the issue wasn’t so much lack of lung function, but compression of the blood-filled lung on the heart and mediastinum, which blocks circulation. Worse still, the incident took place just a few minutes' drive by car (2–3 minutes by ambulance with sirens) from Southampton University Hospital—a regional Major Trauma Centre equipped with a full team of specialists, procedures, and equipment. "I am convinced that if Henry had arrived there alive, the doctors would not have let him die"—writes Dr. Magier. In summary: the aggressive police intervention, instead of saving a life, led to death through improper handling of a severely injured person, even though world-class care was just minutes away. "I fear the Judge and pathologist were too lenient toward the police"—writes Dr. Magier.
Based on this there is a possibility, despite the delay by the family in calling the police, that had the police accepted Henry claim of being stabbed and called an ambulance, he might have survived, especially as the hospital was only 5 minutes away.

Echobelly · 06/06/2026 11:08

I think it's different because Floyd's death was representative of institutional police racism and violence, and Nowak's death was the result of awful incompetence and callousness of the individual officers.

What happened to him was appalling, but to pretend on the account of this one incident that the police are 'too woke' and 'anti white' when compared with the masses of wrongful arrests and disproportionate deaths in custody of people of colour reported over decades and decades, it's not justified to treat it the same way.

Bromptotoo · 06/06/2026 10:51

EasternStandard · 06/06/2026 10:50

There will be further investigation on this at the inquest.

I think the IOPC will be on it too.

EasternStandard · 06/06/2026 10:50

Bromptotoo · 06/06/2026 09:44

No offence to @IStillHearTheWaves but he facts need to be laid bare to stop this sort of speculation. MSM could do that.

The Judge is crystal clear that the pathologist's evidence was that Henry could not have been saved. Even if paramedics had been on scene in minutes the fatal wound, severed artery, could not have been accessed quickly enough.

It was a massive misjudgement to handcuff him but I think it's almost standard process these days. He was cuffed for less than a minute before the officers realised he was in a very bad way and started CPR.

There will be further investigation on this at the inquest.

Bromptotoo · 06/06/2026 09:44

IStillHearTheWaves · 06/06/2026 09:11

Also, would Henry Novak have died if the police got him medical assistance? They may not have stabbed him, but they rejected his claims he'd been stabbed.

No offence to @IStillHearTheWaves but he facts need to be laid bare to stop this sort of speculation. MSM could do that.

The Judge is crystal clear that the pathologist's evidence was that Henry could not have been saved. Even if paramedics had been on scene in minutes the fatal wound, severed artery, could not have been accessed quickly enough.

It was a massive misjudgement to handcuff him but I think it's almost standard process these days. He was cuffed for less than a minute before the officers realised he was in a very bad way and started CPR.

TheTealHiker · 06/06/2026 09:19

IStillHearTheWaves · 06/06/2026 09:11

Also, would Henry Novak have died if the police got him medical assistance? They may not have stabbed him, but they rejected his claims he'd been stabbed.

As I understand it, Henry Novak was stabbed 9 times with an 8" knife that looked like a stiletto.
The problem with stab wounds is that they have a small opening and can be very deep. If someone bleeds internally into the chest cavity, for example, very little blood will be visible externally.
Apparently he was bleeding from the mouth, which should have made them question the wisdom of laying him flat on the ground.

It begs the question "do they do First Aid Courses" as well as DEI ones ?

Nuthatch26 · 06/06/2026 09:19

Just watched Lammy's LBC interview on this. What an idiot he is. Blaming the pandemic? Come on.

IStillHearTheWaves · 06/06/2026 09:11

OpheliaWasntMad · 05/06/2026 13:28

No -the two situations are not the same.
George Floyd was not an innocent man, unlike Henry Novak .

Also, would Henry Novak have died if the police got him medical assistance? They may not have stabbed him, but they rejected his claims he'd been stabbed.

Bromptotoo · 06/06/2026 09:05

OpheliaWasntMad · 05/06/2026 17:49

I think it’s good that ( as far as I’m aware?) there hasn't been any racist backlash against the Sikh community as a result of one horrible individual.
All the backlash has been against the police for their treatment of Henry. And I think that backlash is justified.

Hmmm:

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/sikhs-scared-leave-homes-southampton-henry-nowak-murder-gpxg39b8l

Sikhs ‘scared to go out’ in Southampton after Henry Nowak murder

Reports of harassment at work, in shops and on the street have left many fearing reprisals after the trial of Vickrum Digwa sparked rioting

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/sikhs-scared-leave-homes-southampton-henry-nowak-murder-gpxg39b8l

TheTealHiker · 06/06/2026 08:03

likelysuspect · 05/06/2026 23:54

This.

Is everyone weeping over people killed by Russian police, or Chinese police, or police Cuba or Mexico?

Why not?

Good point.

Selective sympathy as usual....

TheTealHiker · 06/06/2026 08:01

Abra1t · 05/06/2026 13:56

Sounds like the typical muddled thinking that characterises David Lammy.

Yup.

They don't call him "Calamity Lammy" for nothing...

JuliaBraverman · 06/06/2026 07:59

Dollymylove · 05/06/2026 15:44

David Lammy should stick to what he knows, like men taking hormones to grow a cervix 😆🤣

Embarrassing for him!

ProudCat · 06/06/2026 07:09

likelysuspect · 06/06/2026 00:00

America is not even in the top 20 countries for the numbers of people killed by police. Most of the top 10 are African/south American countries with non white populations and non white police forces. With smaller populations but higher numbers of police killings.

No knees were visible for these people.

Yes, the consequences of empire are truly horrific.

ProudCat · 06/06/2026 07:08

1dayatatime · 05/06/2026 23:31

I would be more concerned with 250,000 Black Americans being murdered over the last 25 years (mostly by other Black Americans) than your figure of 3,000 killed by the Police over the last 25 years.

As a parent the trauma is the same regardless of how your child is killed, what is important is the probability and risk factor.

Sorry, I thought we were specifically referring to a case involving police and the death of someone in custody. But yes, you make a good point about the impact of legalised firearms.

Pistachiocake · 06/06/2026 01:30

EasternStandard · 05/06/2026 12:59

No one should do it but no idea why the pandemic makes it different.

If anything, the fact there was a pandemic should have meant we stayed inside and away from others (not getting into a 6 year old debate about lockdowns btw).

OtterLovesItsRock · 06/06/2026 00:18

likelysuspect · 05/06/2026 23:54

This.

Is everyone weeping over people killed by Russian police, or Chinese police, or police Cuba or Mexico?

Why not?

Transatlantic slave trade triangle implicates US and UK
https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/trade-triangle

OtterLovesItsRock · 06/06/2026 00:16

hairbearbunches · 05/06/2026 14:40

@AnonymityAnonymity But white people in this country have not faced the centuries of discrimination and institutional racism that people of colour have faced and still face in the US which led to the symbolic Taking the knee.

and neither have black people in the UK. The US is a deeply racist country, this country is not in the same ball park. It’s having our institutions make policy related to that murder that has led to this appalling outcome. George Floyd’s murder had fuck all to do with Britain and our politicians were pathetic.

Lest we forget:

Stephen Lawrence
https://stephenlawrenceday.org/stephens-story/

David Oluwale
https://rememberoluwale.org/

3.7 times more UK Black pregnant women and new mothers dying in the maternity system
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmhealth/895/report.html

Etc.

Remember Oluwale

https://rememberoluwale.org

keepswimming38 · 06/06/2026 00:07

All this performative nonsense. We had it a few years ago and it was bloody cringe.

likelysuspect · 06/06/2026 00:00

ProudCat · 05/06/2026 17:56

Over 3,000 unarmed black Americans have been killed by police in the last 25 years. That's why people took the knee. Failure to understand scale is the problem here.

America is not even in the top 20 countries for the numbers of people killed by police. Most of the top 10 are African/south American countries with non white populations and non white police forces. With smaller populations but higher numbers of police killings.

No knees were visible for these people.