A man has been arrested and one person was injured after a truck drove into a large crowd of demonstrators protesting in solidarity with anti-government movements in Iran. The incident occurred on Sunday in the Westwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles.
Chaos on Veteran Avenue as Vehicle Enters Crowd
Hundreds of people had gathered along Veteran Avenue, many waving Iranian flags, to show support for protests in Iran sparked by a severe economic crisis. The peaceful demonstration turned chaotic when a U-Haul box truck drove down the street, which was packed with people.
Authorities from the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that the vehicle entered the crowd, forcing people to scramble out of the way. One individual was struck by the truck, but police stated that nobody sustained serious injuries.
Footage from news helicopters showed a dramatic scene as protesters swarmed the stopped truck. Some individuals thrust flagpoles through the driver's side window and threw punches at the driver before police officers intervened to control the situation.
Driver Arrested and Truck Banner's Political Message
The driver, who has not been publicly identified, was taken into custody. Police stated he was arrested "pending further investigation". The truck was eventually stopped several blocks away and surrounded by police cars.
A banner attached to the truck carried a pointed political message. It read: "No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don't Repeat 1953. No Mullah." This appears to reference the US-backed coup in 1953 that overthrew Iran's then prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh.
Global Solidarity and Escalating Crisis in Iran
Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian diaspora community outside Iran, was not alone in hosting demonstrations. Over the weekend, protests were also held outside Downing Street in London and at the Iranian Embassy in the UK, where a protester climbed a balcony to tear down a flag.
The solidarity protests come amid a severe crackdown within Iran. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, more than 500 people have died and over 10,000 have been arrested since demonstrations began in Tehran on 28 December. A widespread communications blackout across Iran's 31 provinces has made details scarce.
In response to the escalating unrest, US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that the military is looking at "some very strong options". He warned that if Iran retaliated, the US would respond at unprecedented levels. This followed discussions between US Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about potential US intervention.
Despite the scale of the protests, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed on Monday that the nationwide demonstrations have now "come under total control".
