A man has been arrested after driving a commercial truck into a large crowd of people protesting in solidarity with anti-government demonstrations in Iran. The incident occurred on Sunday in Los Angeles, home to one of the world's largest Iranian diasporas.
Chaos on Veteran Avenue as Vehicle Enters Crowd
Hundreds of demonstrators had gathered along Veteran Avenue in the Westwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles. They were waving Iranian flags and voicing support for protests inside Iran, which were sparked by a severe economic crisis. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a U-Haul box truck drove down the street, which was packed with people.
One individual was struck by the vehicle, though authorities confirmed that no one sustained serious injuries. The chaotic scene, captured by news helicopters, showed people scrambling to get out of the way as the truck moved through the demonstration. Some protesters reacted by swarming the vehicle, thrusting flagpoles through the driver's side window and throwing punches.
Driver Arrested and Truck's Message Examined
Police officers managed to keep the crowd back and eventually stopped the truck several blocks away, surrounding it with patrol cars. The driver, who has not been publicly identified, was taken into custody. Police stated he was arrested "pending further investigation."
Attached to the truck was a banner with a political message. It read: "No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don't Repeat 1953. No Mullah." This appears to reference the 1953 US-backed coup that overthrew Iran's then Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, a pivotal event in modern Iranian history.
Global Solidarity and Escalating Tensions
The protest in Los Angeles was part of a wider wave of international demonstrations over the weekend. In London, protesters gathered outside Downing Street and the Iranian Embassy, where on Saturday a demonstrator climbed onto a balcony and tore down a flag.
The unrest inside Iran continues at a grave cost. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, more than 500 people have died and over 10,000 have been arrested since the protests began in Tehran on 28 December. A severe communications blackout across Iran's 31 provinces has made details scarce, with cybersecurity group NetBlocks reporting the outage had lasted at least 84 hours.
In response to the escalating crisis, US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he is considering a range of strong options. "The military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options," Mr Trump told reporters, warning Iran that if it retaliated, the US would respond at unprecedented levels. This followed similar remarks he made on Friday.
Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, claimed on Monday that the nationwide protests were now "under total control." The situation remains highly volatile, with global capitals watching closely as events unfold both inside Iran and within its widespread diaspora communities.
