U-Haul driver detained after truck drives into Los Angeles protest crowd

People reports a man driving a U-Haul truck drove into a crowd protesting the Iranian government in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 11; police detained the driver.

Video circulating on social media showed the truck accelerate down a street lined with protesters and be surrounded after it stopped, according to the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and KNBC. The vehicle hit one person who reportedly did not suffer significant injuries, and subsequent videos show protesters attempting to strike the driver after police removed him. No ambulances were called to the scene. Per the L.A. Times, a banner on the truck read, 'No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah,' an apparent reference to the deposed Shah of Iran, who was ousted during the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

LAPD Capt. Richard Gabaldon told the L.A. Times the driver could face a charge of assault with a deadly weapon and that officials believe the incident stemmed from an altercation in the crowd rather than an act of terrorism; the suspect reportedly does not have an arrest record. The protest occurred as reports emerged of mass demonstrations in Iran — CNN, citing a human rights group, said more than 500 people have been killed and thousands arrested since the protests began.

Key Topics

World, U-haul, Los Angeles, Lapd, Richard Gabaldon, Iran Protests