St Mary’s Matfelon Church stood on this site, but was badly damaged during the Second World War and was demolished shortly afterwards. The park continued to be known as St Mary’s Church yard but has now been renamed and acts as a memorial to Altab Ali.

Altab Ali was a young Bengali textile worker from Cannon Street Road who was stabbed to death by racists in nearby Adler Street on 4 May 1978. During the 1970s the area had become dominated by the fascist National Front organisation.

The murder sparked outrage in the community and a strong campaign against racism in the area. The renaming of the park was an important symbolic act against racism and the park also serves as a memorial to all victims of racist violence.

The name and character of the park is part of the establishment of the Bengali community of this area of East London, also containing a memorial to the Bengali Martyrs. Lettering on the paving spells out the words of Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali poet and Nobel Peace Prize winner:

“The shade of my tree is offered to those who come and go fleetingly.
Its fruit matures for somebody whose coming I wait for constantly.”