A disturbing incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when a U-Haul truck drove into a crowd of demonstrators participating in an anti-Iranian regime rally in Los Angeles. Officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that two individuals were evaluated at the scene. However, both declined further treatment and transportation to a medical facility. Additionally, firefighter-paramedics responded to reports regarding a third person in the area, but details about their condition remain undisclosed.
The rally took place in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, prompting the California Highway Patrol to request assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department for traffic control. As a result, the 405 Freeway ramp on Wilshire was temporarily shut down to ensure the safety of the demonstrators and facilitate the rally's activities.
This demonstration in Los Angeles coincides with a significant escalation in protests across Iran, where the death toll from ongoing unrest has reportedly surpassed 500 people. According to data compiled by the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the confirmed fatalities include 490 protesters and 48 members of security forces. Furthermore, the agency has documented that at least 10,600 individuals have been arrested amid the protests. It is essential to note that ABC News has not been able to independently verify these figures.
The Iranian government has not released any official death tolls regarding the ongoing protests. HRANA's latest update indicated that they had recorded 574 protest locations across 185 cities and all 31 provinces of Iran. Remarkably, Saturday marked the fourteenth consecutive day of protests within the country, with demonstrations gaining momentum since their inception in late December. Initially, the protests began in downtown Tehran, where participants rallied against soaring inflation and the depreciating value of the national currency, the rial.
As the protests have intensified, many participants have adopted a more directly anti-government tone. Slogans such as "student, be the voice of your people" and "death to the Islamic Republic" have echoed through the streets, reflecting a widespread demand for change and accountability within the Iranian regime.