Police in Australia’s Northern Territory charged 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis with murdering an Indigenous girl named Kumanjayi Little Baby. The death sparked violent clashes in an outback town, leading to protests by around 400 Indigenous people near Alice Springs.
Lewis, who had been seen at one of the camps on the outskirts of the town, was arrested on Saturday evening and will appear in court in Darwin on Tuesday. He has a history of physical assault and was recently released from prison.
Protests turned violent as demonstrators threw projectiles and set fires, injuring several police officers and medical workers and damaging vehicles. Police used tear gas to disperse protesters, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the victim’s family called for calm.
Indigenous Australians, who make up 3.8% of the population, face significant disadvantages including discrimination, poor health and education outcomes, high incarceration rates, and inadequate housing and services.