Chaos in LA
U-Haul Plows Into LA Crowd at Anti-Regime Rally, Many Injured | WATCH
Violence erupts in Westwood as a driver bearing slogans opposing both the Ayatollahs and the Shah drives into demonstrators supporting the uprising in Iran
Chaos broke out in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon when a U-Haul truck drove into a crowd of demonstrators gathered for an anti-Iranian regime rally near the federal building.
The incident quickly turned violent as protesters surrounded the vehicle, smashing windows before pulling the driver out and attempting to beat him with flag poles before police intervened.
The Los Angeles Police Department, which eventually issued a dispersal order to clear the scene, reported that one adult male was injured and treated at the scene, but no significant injuries were reported among the crowd.
The driver was taken into custody and is currently being treated at a hospital; officials stated he will likely face charges of attempted assault with a deadly weapon.
"No Shah, No Mullah"
Video footage from the scene captured the moment the truck drove through the protest, enraging the crowd. The U-Haul was plastered with signs reading: "NO SHAH. NO REGIME. USA: DON'T REPEAT 1953. NO MULLAH."
The slogans suggest a specific political motivation.
While the rally was organized to oppose the Islamic Republic, many current demonstrators in Iran and abroad have been chanting in support of the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.
The driver’s message appears to align with opposition factions, potentially the MEK or leftist groups, that reject both the current theocracy and the restoration of the monarchy, a point of significant friction within the Iranian diaspora.
Background of War and Collapse
The rally in Los Angeles took place against the backdrop of historic unrest inside Iran. Nationwide protests, sparked by a collapsing economy and a currency in freefall, have spiked following a "12-day war" launched by Israel in June, which saw the United States bomb Iranian nuclear sites.
The economic situation has become desperate, with the Iranian rial trading at over 1.4 million to the dollar. In response to the uprising, the regime has shut down internet and telephone networks, attempting to hide a crackdown that activists say has already claimed at least 538 lives.
Trump's Warning
The atmosphere is further charged by recent warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump. Following the U.S. military's capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, a key ally of Tehran, Trump warned the Ayatollahs that the United States "will come to the rescue" of peaceful protesters if the regime continues its violent crackdown. "If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States," Trump stated.