Driver of U-Haul truck that entered Iran protest crowd speaks out: 'All I want is peace'
The driver of a U-Haul truck that drove through protesters demonstrating against the Iranian regime in Los Angeles on Sunday claims that police waved him onto the street full of protesters, and that he had never meant to hurt anyone.
Calor Madanescht, 48, was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department on suspicion of reckless driving following the incident.
"I had no intention to hit anybody," Madanescht told FOX11 Los Angeles.
Madanescht said an LAPD officer waved him onto the avenue, where he intended to join the protest. However, he claims a pro-Shah group began to attack him.
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"I was really afraid for my life," he said, adding that some protesters helped clear a path so he could drive away. "They were telling me, ‘Go, go,’ and they opened the path, as you see in the video."
Video online appears to show the U-Haul truck moving quickly through a dense crowd as people screamed along Veteran Avenue near the Federal Building in the Westwood neighborhood. A banner on the side of the truck read, in all capital letters, "NO SHAH. NO REGIME. USA: DON’T REPEAT 1953. NO MULLAH."
"All I want is peace and human rights for everyone in Iran and for minorities," Madanescht said.
Madanescht said that once he pulled over, other demonstrators began to attack him. He showed the outlet a bandaged hand, a cut on his ear, bruises and black eyes.
Another video shows the crowd of people running toward the truck and surrounding it as people can be heard chanting at the driver behind the wheel. One member of the crowd climbed onto the truck and stomped on its windshield. Others stuck flagpoles through an open passenger-side window, appearing to jab the suspect.
During Madanescht’s interview with the outlet, two men who were at the protest gave their accounts of what happened.
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"They kept punching him, hitting him," said one of the men, identified as Mehdi. "They broke the window, kicked the truck, assaulted him, and he has a right to free speech."
The other man questioned Madanescht's claim that LAPD had waved him onto a street that was occupied by demonstrators.
But Madanescht maintained that his intentions for being at the protest were only peaceful.
"The reality is I peacefully came, cooperated with LAPD, and I'm deeply grateful for them," he said. "They deserve the highest praise for putting their lives on the line to save mine."
The protest comes amid ongoing unrest in Iran, where demonstrations that began over economic grievances have spread nationwide, evolving into a direct challenge to Iran's clerical leadership.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said at least 18,470 people have been arrested and confirmed the deaths of 2,615 individuals. HRANA said 2,435 of those killed were protesters, including 13 children under the age of 18.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.