Truck hits crowd at Iran protest in Westwood

A U-Haul truck drove into a dense crowd of demonstrators during a large protest in Westwood calling for regime change in Iran, injuring multiple people and sparking panic along the march route. Organizers said more than 10,000 people had gathered, marching from the Wilshire Federal Building through Veteran Avenue and onto Ohio Avenue in a rally of solidarity with protesters inside Iran. Witnesses said the truck bypassed an apparent police closure and headed toward the crowd, then accelerated suddenly after several windows were smashed, scattering marchers and shattering the previously peaceful event.

Emergency crews treated at least two people at the scene and were searching for a possible third injured person, though none were transported to hospital initially. Video circulating online showed chaotic scenes as people fled; authorities cautioned that footage must be verified. The Los Angeles Police Department later confirmed an adult male had been struck by the vehicle but sustained no significant injuries. The adult male driver was detained and is being questioned as investigators work to determine how the truck breached the closure and whether the act was deliberate.

Police cordoned off the area, closed nearby streets and collected witness statements while forensics examined the vehicle. Officials urged witnesses to come forward and asked the public to avoid the scene as the inquiry continued. Organizers condemned the use of a vehicle against civilians and called for a transparent investigation, stressing the demonstration had been peaceful before the incident.

The protest was organized in response to months of unrest in Iran, where crackdowns have reportedly resulted in hundreds of deaths, and was one of many solidarity rallies held by diaspora communities. In Toronto and other cities, Iranian expatriates held demonstrations carrying flags and chanting for democratic reforms and an end to the clerical regime, seeking to maintain international attention amid communication blackouts in Iran. Community leaders in Westwood and elsewhere called for calm, protection of the right to peaceful protest and accountability as authorities probe the circumstances surrounding the truck’s entry into the crowd.