Truck ploughs through Iran solidarity protest in Los Angeles, driver detained

A truck driver has been detained in Los Angeles after speeding through a street packed with people marching in support of protesters in Iran, sending demonstrators scrambling for safety.

Police said a U-Haul box truck drove down a crowded road during the protest on Sunday, striking one person. No serious injuries were reported.

Footage from a local news helicopter showed police stopping the truck several blocks away, then forming a cordon as demonstrators ran toward the vehicle. Officers were seen trying to hold the crowd back as tensions flared at the scene.

The Los Angeles Police Department said the driver, who has not been publicly identified, was detained “pending further investigation”.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said paramedics evaluated two people following the incident, and both declined further medical treatment.

The protest had drawn a large crowd to Veteran Avenue in the Westwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles, where demonstrators gathered in solidarity with anti-government protesters in Iran. Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran, making it a focal point for diaspora activism.

Police initially allowed the demonstration to proceed before later issuing a dispersal order. By early evening, only about 100 protesters remained in the area, according to local media reports.

The demonstrations in Iran began on December 28, when merchants at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar shut their shops over the sharp collapse of the rial. What started as economic anger has since broadened into nationwide protests against Iran’s political system.

The current unrest is the largest since the 2022–23 protest movement sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in custody after being detained for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women.

Support rallies have taken place well beyond Iran’s borders, with demonstrations reported in cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Istanbul and Los Angeles.

Iranian state media said on Sunday that 109 members of the security forces have been killed during the unrest. Authorities have not released a figure for civilian deaths, but opposition activists based outside the country say the toll among protesters is significantly higher and runs into the hundreds.