Truck Strikes Crowd at Los Angeles Rally Supporting Iranian Protests

2026-01-12 politics

Los Angeles, Monday, 12 January 2026.
Authorities are investigating after a driver steered a U-Haul displaying political slogans referencing the 1953 coup into a crowd of anti-Iranian regime demonstrators in Westwood. The Sunday incident injured at least two people and ended when protesters forcibly removed the driver from the vehicle.

Chaos on Veteran Avenue

The incident occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 11, near the intersection of Veteran Avenue and Ohio Avenue, just blocks from the Wilshire Federal Building in Westwood [2][4]. A crowd estimated between 1,000 and 3,000 individuals had gathered to express solidarity with ongoing uprisings in Iran when the moving truck accelerated into the marchers [3][4]. Video footage captured the chaotic moments as demonstrators swarmed the vehicle, shattering its windshield and forcibly removing the driver before police officers arrived to take him into custody [2][4]. While initial reports from the Los Angeles Fire Department indicated that at least three people were injured, two individuals were evaluated at the scene and declined hospital transport [2][8]. Fire officials noted that their response was delayed due to the density of the teeming crowd [4].

Investigating Motive and Political Messaging

While the visual evidence of a vehicle striking pedestrians raised immediate fears of a targeted attack, preliminary assessments from law enforcement suggest a more complex motive. Los Angeles Police Captain Richard Gabaldon indicated that the crash may have stemmed from an altercation within the crowd rather than a premeditated act of terrorism, noting the suspect had no prior arrest record [4]. However, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is actively collaborating with the LAPD to definitively determine the driver’s intent [3]. The vehicle itself bore a specific political manifesto, displaying signs that read “No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah” [1][4]. This messaging appears to reject both the current Islamic Republic and the pre-1979 monarchy, a stance that likely provoked friction within a diverse diaspora opposition that includes monarchist factions waving pre-revolutionary flags [7].

Economic Collapse and Geopolitical Instability

The heightened tensions in Los Angeles mirror the severe volatility currently gripping Iran. The Westwood rally was organized in support of nationwide protests triggered by a collapsing economy, where the Iranian rial is now trading at over 1.4 million to the U.S. dollar [1]. Following a 12-day war involving Israel in June 2025 and subsequent U.S. strikes on nuclear sites, the Islamic Republic’s “Axis of Resistance” has been described as decimated [1]. Domestically, the situation has deteriorated further; with annual inflation running at 40%, the introduction of new gasoline pricing tiers in December 2025 has ignited public unrest across all 31 of Iran’s provinces [1]. As of early January 2026, activists report that more than 570 protests have erupted, resulting in over 500 deaths and 10,000 arrests [1][4].

Sources

Public Safety Civil Unrest