Police are investigating after a U-Haul truck drove into a crowd of demonstrators supporting the Iranian people in Westwood, Los Angeles, over the weekend. Authorities said the driver is in custody and may face assault with a deadly weapon charges, with the vehicle itself considered the weapon.
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon in Westwood, home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran. One man was treated at the scene for minor injuries, and two others were evaluated but declined medical care.
ABC7 footage showed the truck stopped several blocks away, surrounded by police, while demonstrators swarmed the vehicle, reportedly throwing punches and flagpoles at the driver. Damage to the U-Haul included shattered windows and side mirrors. Police did not report whether the driver was injured.
A banner attached to the truck read: “No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah”, referencing the 1953 U.S.-backed coup that overthrew Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and led to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s rule, which preceded the 1979 Islamic Revolution under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Protesters gathered along Veteran Avenue, calling attention to a crackdown in Iran that has reportedly killed more than 530 people amid nationwide demonstrations triggered by the collapse of Iran’s currency and economic sanctions. Police issued a dispersal order, leaving roughly a hundred protesters in the area by 5 p.m.
LAPD spokespersons Charles Miller and Richard Gabaldon said the investigation is ongoing. Mayor Karen Bass declined to comment on the incident.