In a dramatic incident in Los Angeles, a man drove a U-Haul truck through a group of demonstrators rallying in support of the Iranian people, resulting in injuries to two individuals, according to authorities. The demonstration took a chaotic turn as the large vehicle barreled through the crowd, prompting people to scatter for safety and then pursue the truck as it continued down the street.
Upon arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department assessed the two injured individuals, who ultimately declined further medical treatment. The unsettling scene was captured by ABC7 Los Angeles’s news helicopter, which revealed the tense moments as officers struggled to maintain order. Demonstrators, visibly upset, converged on the truck, with some resorting to physical aggression by throwing punches at the driver and using flagpoles to jab through the driver’s side window.
The U-Haul sustained considerable damage, including broken side mirrors and a shattered windshield. The confrontation reached its conclusion several blocks away, where the truck was surrounded by a fleet of police cruisers. The driver was apprehended and taken into custody, though further details about the incident or the driver’s identity remain undisclosed.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said two people were evaluated on scene, but declined treatment.
ABC7 Los Angeles’s news helicopter footage showed officers trying to keep the crowd away from the truck as demonstrators swarmed it, throwing punches at the driver and thrusting flagpoles through the driver’s side window.
The truck had its side mirrors and windshield shattered, and was stopped several blocks away and surrounded by police cars. ABC7 reported the driver was taken into custody, but no other information is available at this time.
The demonstrations in Los Angeles come after a crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran killed at least 544 people. Even more are feared dead, activists said Sunday, while Tehran warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
It caused several hundred people to gather in the Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian theocracy. The LA police department eventually issued a dispersal order, and by 5 p.m. only about a hundred protesters were still at the scene, ABC7 reported.
Trump, in comments to reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday evening, said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. He added, “Iran wants to negotiate.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
