Police in Los Angeles are investigating an incident on Sunday in which a person drove a U-Haul box truck through a crowd of demonstrators supporting the Iranian people, causing protesters to scramble out of the way. The driver, who has not been identified, was detained pending further investigation, police said in a statement.
One person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt, the police statement said. The driver could face assault charges, with Captain Richard Gabaldon of the Los Angeles Police Department stating, 'We're looking at possible assault with a deadly weapon, the deadly weapon being the vehicle being used.'
A banner attached to the truck read: 'No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah,' a reference to the US-backed coup in 1953 that toppled Iran’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. The coup, partly instigated by the British over oil nationalisation, cemented the power of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and is seen as a precursor to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The march took place along Veteran Avenue in Los Angeles’ Westwood neighbourhood, home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran. Police issued a dispersal order, and by 5pm only about a hundred protesters remained. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is working with local police to determine the driver's motive.
Activists say a crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has killed more than 530 people. The incident in Los Angeles occurred as protesters again flooded streets in Tehran and other Iranian cities.
