SYDNEY, Australia: Hundreds of protesters in Australia clashed with emergency services ​personnel in a remote town after the arrest of a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old Indigenous girl, police said ‌on May 1.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the Northern Territory's police chief Martin Dole, and a representative of the victim's family all called for calm after about 400 Indigenous people gathered outside a hospital on the night of April 30. The suspect had been taken there after locals beat him unconscious.

Video from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation showed people in the crowd demanding "payback," a traditional form of punishment in some Aboriginal communities.

Protesters threw objects, started fires, injured several police officers and medical staff, and damaged police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. Police used tear gas to break up the crowd.

Police said Jefferson Lewis, 47, who they believe abducted and killed the girl, went to a town camp in Alice Springs. Dole said that when Lewis arrived, people at the camp carried out vigilante violence against him.

The girl, now called Kumanjayi Little Baby by her family in line with Indigenous customs, disappeared from her home near Alice Springs on the night of April 25. Her body was found on April 30 in nearby bushland by one of many people searching the area.

Police had already identified Lewis as a suspect earlier in the week. He has previous convictions for assault and has recently been released from prison.

Dole urged the community to stay calm and said he hoped the violence seen the previous night was an isolated incident. He added that Lewis was moved to Darwin early on May 1 for his own safety. Police expect to charge him soon.

Albanese said that he understood people's anger and frustration but called on the community to come together.

A senior Aboriginal elder, Robin Granites, also asked people to stay calm. He said that the suspect had been caught thanks to the community and that justice should now take its course, while the family mourns and supports one another. He added that this was not the time to seek attention online or cause trouble.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said a one-day ban on takeaway alcohol would be introduced and more police would be sent from Darwin to prevent further unrest. Alcohol sales are already restricted on certain days in the town to reduce crime.

Australia has long faced challenges in addressing the treatment of its Indigenous people, who have lived on the land for around 50,000 years but were pushed aside during British colonization. Indigenous Australians make up about 3.8 percent of the country's 27 million people, but experience poorer social and economic outcomes, along with higher rates of suicide and imprisonment.

Many, including the victim's family, live in camps on the outskirts of Alice Springs, where housing and basic services are often lacking.