Protests following the murder of Altab Ali. Brick Lane area, Sunday 16 July 1978.
Protests following the murder of Altab Ali. Brick Lane area, Sunday 16 July 1978.
Altab Ali was 16 when moved from Bangladesh to London in 1969 with his uncle. He married in 1975 and worked in the local clothing industry.
On the 4th of May, 1978 he was walking home from work when he was attacked and murdered by three teenagers in yet another of the many racist attacks that were frequent in the East End at that time.
As an immigrant area, racial tensions had characterised the East End of London for decades. In the 1930s Oswald Mosley's fascist attacked the Jewish community and by the 1970s the growing Bengali population had become the target.
By the time of Altab Ali's murder there had been many racist incidents against the area's Asian community, and on the day of the murder the National Front had candidates standing in local elections.
Ali's death sparked protests. People of all races and religions joined in a march to Downing Street calling for action and the police to take racist attacks more seriously. The area attracted racist organisations intending to raise tensions but, after many confrontations, they were forced out by the strength of opposition from all ethnic groups and the area is now safe and prosperous.
1978