A U-Haul truck driver was apprehended after driving through a crowd of protesters in Los Angeles on Sunday. The demonstrators, who were rallying against the Iranian regime, responded by attacking the vehicle and its driver with flag poles until law enforcement arrived.
Identified as 48-year-old Calor Madanescht, the driver was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department on charges of reckless driving. Footage from the scene shows a group of protesters rushing towards the truck, surrounding it, and chanting at Madanescht as he sat behind the wheel.
In the chaos, one protester climbed onto the truck, stomping on its windshield, while others wielded flag poles with the Iranian flag, thrusting them through an open window on the passenger side to jab at the driver.
Amid the uproar, demonstrators smashed the vehicle’s windshield and used flag poles to attack the driver until police intervened and detained him. The incident was captured in a video shared by Alaleh Kamran via Storyful.
Someone from the crowd also ripped down a banner on the side of the U-Haul, which read in bold letters, “NO SHAH. NO REGIME. USA: DON’T REPEAT 1953. NO MULLAH.”
As Madanescht attempted to exit the vehicle through the driver’s side door, the crowd forcefully closed it. Eventually, officers pushed through the mass of people and managed to arrest the individual inside the truck.
Police said the adult male driver has been detained pending further investigation. His identity has yet to be released. (Alaleh Kamran via Storyful)
The incident occurred at around 3:30 p.m. Sunday along Veteran Avenue near the Federal Building in the Westwood neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
“At this time, one person was confirmed struck by the vehicle (an adult male); however, no significant injuries have been reported,” the LAPD said. “A Rescue Ambulance treated the individual at the scene. No one has been transported to the hospital for medical treatment.”
The truck was impounded, but nothing “significant” was discovered inside, the LAPD said.
A driver allegedly drove a U-Haul truck through a crowd during a Los Angeles demonstration in support of the Iranian people on Sunday. (KTTV)
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a U-Haul truck moving quickly through a dense crowd as people screamed. In one video, a person appeared to hang onto the side of the vehicle and bang on a window as it continued moving.
Hundreds had gathered in the Westwood neighborhood as part of a march backing protesters in Iran. (KTTV)
The Iranian American Republican Council (IARC) released a statement condemning the incident as a “terrorist attack.”
“We strongly condemn this violent act and call on the appropriate authorities of the United States to conduct a full and transparent investigation and to hold those responsible fully accountable under the law,” the statement read, in part.
The protest comes amid ongoing unrest in Iran, where demonstrations that began over economic grievances have spread nationwide, evolving into a direct challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports 583 people have been killed in Iran since the unrest erupted two weeks ago.
