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WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES () — The man who drove a U-Haul truck into a crowd of protesters in Westwood, causing the otherwise peaceful anti-Iranian regime demonstration to turn chaotic, was booked on suspicion of reckless driving, investigators confirmed Monday.
The driver was identified in booking records as Calor Madanescht, 48. He was arrested but later released from custody, records show.
Video captured the moment he drove into the crowd on Veteran Avenue as people screamed and rushed away Sunday afternoon.
Chaos erupted after a U-Haul drove into a crowd during an anti-Iranian regime rally near the federal building in Westwood on Sunday afternoon.
Exclusive AIR7 shows officers pulling Madanescht from the truck while protesters surrounded him, attempting to strike him with objects, including flag poles, trash and their hands. One protester can be seen climbing onto the vehicle and kicking in its windshield.
After the driver was removed, protesters chased him and tried to hit him as police escorted him away and took him into custody. Demonstrators also tore political messages from the truck as tensions escalated. Some said, “No Shah,” referring to the former Shah of Iran and his family. Iranian experts say people opposed to the current Iranian government are not unified about what should come next.
“There is a strong opposition group that is anti-Mullah, you could say anti-Islamic Republic, and also anti-Shah, and so it seems like that’s what that guy was trying to… or at least that’s… that’s the position that he had,” said Ciruce Movahedi-Lankarani with USC Iranian and Middle East studies.
The rally had drawn hundreds of people in solidarity with ongoing protests in Iran. The protests demanding an end to Iran’s current regime over the country’s failing economy have been met with a violent crackdown. Human rights activists in Iran claim at least 648 people have been killed and more than 10,000 people have been detained after over two weeks of demonstrations.
“It’s difficult to know the scale and the size because the communications have been cut off, and that’s by design, right? The government doesn’t want the news to be easily spread about what is happening there,” Movahedi-Lankarani said.
Sean Zarrabi, who recorded video of police leading the driver away in handcuffs, said, “People are getting their voice out, and this person comes through the crowd and tries to kill people.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is looking at the incident to determine whether Madanescht’s actions were politically motivated, or if he just got stuck in the crowd.
Sources told News they don’t see a clear motive to injure the protesters. They added that the charges could be something more serious than reckless driving if the evidence warrants.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said, “We are aware of this incident. FBI is on scene with LAPD to determine the motive of the driver. This is an active investigation and we will update the public when we have more information.”
Police said one protester received minor injuries in the incident and was treated at the scene. Los Angeles police eventually issued a dispersal order, and the crowd quickly began to shrink.
After the chaos settled, the U-Haul was seen stopped in the area, surrounded by shattered glass, debris and crime scene tape.
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