Driver Detained After U-Haul Moves Through Iran Protesters in Westwood

On Sunday afternoon a man in a U-Haul truck drove through a crowd of people in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles who were marching in support of antigovernment demonstrations in Iran, and police detained the driver, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Capt. J. Michael Bland, an LAPD spokesman, said the vehicle hit one person who did not suffer significant injuries.

The department said several thousand people had gathered for the protest. Videos shared with The New York Times and posted on social media show the truck making its way through a packed crowd holding Iranian flags and signs reading “Justice For Iran”; the truck, which at times accelerated and paused, carried signs that appeared to discourage American involvement in Iran’s political crisis.

Videos also show protesters breaking a window of the vehicle. After the truck stopped, officers detained the driver, and some people in the crowd continued to punch and attack him as officers took him away. No formal arrests had been made as of Sunday evening, and the driver remained in police custody pending further investigation.

Officials said it was unclear whether the driver intentionally sought to harm the crowd or was trying to move his vehicle through it. The incident occurred in a part of Los Angeles that is home to a large Iranian American community.

Key Topics

Politics, U-haul Truck, Westwood, Los Angeles, Iran Protests, Iranian American Community