**Man Drives U-Haul into Anti-Iranian Regime Protest in Westwood; Calls Incident a Misunderstanding**
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Last Sunday, Calor Ma Da Nescht drove a U-Haul truck into the middle of an anti-Iranian regime protest at the Westwood federal building. On Friday, Ma Da Nescht spoke with Eyewitness News, describing the incident as a “big misunderstanding.”
“I had no intention to hurt anybody,” he said. “The people who supported me with LAPD, they tried to open a clear path. I came to deliver the Iranian voices from inside Iran—not what American people see on the TVs.”
Exclusive footage captured by AIR7 shows police pulling Ma Da Nescht from the U-Haul. He was arrested for reckless driving, a misdemeanor. Protesters reportedly struggled to stop the truck as it entered the crowd.
“The majority of the demonstrators were supporting me,” Ma Da Nescht claimed. “The small minority of a pro-shah group were the only ones that attacked me and did not agree.”
However, videos from the scene depict a different story. Protesters believe Ma Da Nescht targeted them deliberately, pointing to the political messages displayed on his U-Haul. One sign read “No shah.”
“He did a terrible decision by coming with an unlicensed truck into the crowd and smashing people,” said Sean Zarrabi, who attended the protest. “You have something to say, hold something in your hand, and come do your protest, your opposition. Come make your argument, but running people down with your truck is a terrible thing to do. It’s a terrorist act and doesn’t help anything.”
The anti-Iranian regime protests in Los Angeles come amid nearly three weeks of demonstrations against the Iranian government, which have been met with a severe crackdown by security forces. The protests originally stemmed from public outrage over rising inflation and the declining value of Iran’s national currency.
The United States-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that at least 3,000 people have been killed and more than 18,000 arrested during the unrest. On the government side, 153 members of security forces have reportedly been killed. ABC News cannot independently verify these figures.
“People are helpless inside Iran, under pressure, economically,” said Zarrabi. “No freedom. Nobody can get their voice out, and we’re trying to be their voice here living outside the country and let the whole world know what’s going on on the inside.”
https://abc7.com/post/haul-driver-drove-anti-iranian-regime-rally-westwood-believes-was-misunderstanding/18417869/