Protesters try to attack driver after truck speeds through Iran demonstration in Los Angeles

U-Haul Truck Drives Through Iranian Protest in Los Angeles, Driver Detained

Los Angeles police detained a driver Sunday after he drove a U-Haul box truck through a crowded street where demonstrators had gathered in support of the Iranian people, forcing protesters to leap out of the vehicle’s path.

The incident occurred in Los Angeles’ Westwood neighborhood, where a large crowd had assembled to protest against Iran’s theocratic government. Video footage from ABC7 news helicopters captured the chaotic scene as the truck, with its windows and side mirrors shattered, was eventually stopped several blocks from the protest site.

Demonstrators, many visibly enraged by the driver’s actions, swarmed the stopped vehicle. Some attempted to punch the driver through the window while others thrust flagpoles through the driver’s side opening. Police quickly surrounded the truck with patrol cars and worked to keep the increasingly agitated crowd at bay.

“One person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt,” according to the Los Angeles Police Department’s statement released Sunday evening. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that two individuals were evaluated by paramedics at the scene, though both declined further medical treatment. The driver, whose identity has not been released, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said.

The truck displayed a banner reading “No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah,” referencing the U.S.-backed coup that toppled Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953. That historic intervention, which reinstalled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to power, remains a pivotal moment in U.S.-Iranian relations.

The 1953 coup stemmed largely from American Cold War fears about Soviet influence in Iran, where communist groups were gaining traction. British interests also played a significant role, as they sought to regain access to Iranian oil fields that had been nationalized under Mossadegh’s leadership.

Many historians view the coup as a critical catalyst for the 1979 Islamic Revolution, during which the terminally ill Shah fled Iran and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini established the theocratic regime that continues to govern the country today.

Sunday’s demonstration in Los Angeles was part of ongoing global protests against the Iranian government’s violent crackdown on dissidents within Iran. Activists report that more than 530 people have been killed in nationwide protests across Iran. Even as the Los Angeles incident unfolded, protesters were flooding the streets of Tehran and Iran’s second-largest city in continued demonstrations against the regime.

The Westwood area where the protest took place is known as a center of Iranian-American culture in Los Angeles, which hosts the largest Iranian community outside of Iran. Many protesters at the rally were waving the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag, symbolizing their opposition to the current Islamic Republic.

As the afternoon progressed, police issued a dispersal order to the demonstrators. By 5 p.m. local time, the crowd had diminished significantly, with approximately 100 protesters remaining in the area, according to ABC7’s reporting.

The incident highlights the emotional intensity surrounding Iranian politics within diaspora communities and comes amid heightened tensions both within Iran and internationally regarding the country’s political future. Los Angeles has been a frequent site for large demonstrations related to Iranian politics, reflecting the city’s significance as a hub for Iranian cultural and political activity outside the homeland.

Authorities have not indicated whether the driver will face charges, nor have they specified if the incident is being investigated as a deliberate attack or as reckless driving.