What was claimed
A video shows Polish people taking the knee for Henry Nowak.
Our verdict
False. Although this video was filmed in Poland, it actually shows a Corpus Christi procession.
What was claimed
A video shows Polish people taking the knee for Henry Nowak.
Our verdict
False. Although this video was filmed in Poland, it actually shows a Corpus Christi procession.
A video of people kneeling in the street has been shared online with claims it shows Polish people paying tribute to Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed by police after being stabbed in December 2025.
But this isn’t what the video shows. Although it was filmed in Poland, it actually shows a Corpus Christi Catholic procession, and is unrelated to Henry Nowak.
We traced the video to an account that shared it on 4 June, saying it showed Corpus Christi celebrations in Poland. That same user shared similar clips of the same event on YouTube, adding that it happened in a small Polish town that we geolocated to Lublin. Corpus Christi is a public holiday in Poland and took place on 4 June this year.
The video has been shared thousands of times across X and Facebook with the incorrect caption “this was in Poland the polish people taking the knee for Henry Nowak! Just human beings recognising the loss of another human being”.
Join 73,000 newsletter subscribers who trust us to check the facts
Sign up to get weekly updates on politics, immigration, health and more.
Subscribe to weekly email newsletters from Full Fact for updates on politics, immigration, health and more. Our fact checks are free to read but not to produce, so you will also get occasional emails about fundraising and other ways you can help. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy.
Vickrum Digwa stabbed Mr Nowak and lied to police, claiming he had been the victim of a racist attack. Digwa was found guilty of murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years.
Last week Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary released footage of Mr Nowak’s arrest which showed him handcuffed and lying on the ground, saying “I've been stabbed” and an officer replying “I don't think you have mate”. The case has attracted widespread attention, resulting in protests. Some protesters knelt in the street at vigils for Mr Nowak.
Before sharing content like this, first consider whether it comes from a verifiable and trustworthy source. Our toolkit on how to identify bad information can help you do this.
This article is part of our work fact checking potentially false pictures, videos and stories on Facebook. You can read more about this—and find out how to report Facebook content—here. For the purposes of that scheme, we’ve rated this claim as false because this video shows a Corpus Christi procession, not a tribute to Henry Nowak.
Full Fact fights for good, reliable information in the media, online, and in politics.
Fact checking claims made by politicians, public figures and viral online content can give you the full picture backed by the evidence.
Subscribe to weekly email newsletters from Full Fact for updates on politics, immigration, health and more. Our fact checks are free to read but not to produce, so you will also get occasional emails about fundraising and other ways you can help. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy.