Amid the ongoing anti-regime protests happening in Iran, demonstrators across the world have also extended their solidarity by taking to the streets in their respective countries. One such instance of rallies taking place in the United States took a chaotic turn on Sunday afternoon (US time), when a driver was seen plowing a U-Haul into a crowd of protesters in Los Angeles.

The video of the unprecedented development has since circulated all over social media like wildfire.

The protests originally commenced in Iran in late December, with demonstrators speaking out against soaring inflation. Many have called for an end to the clerical rule of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Anti-Iran protests in Los Angeles: U-Haul truck video driving through rally emerges

The incident is said to have taken place near the federal building in Westwood, as per ABC7. The US news outlet also relayed scenes of a large gathering surrounding the U-Haul in question. Other videos emerging on X have since shown protesters smashing windows of the vehicle as well.

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Who was the U-Haul driver?

Authorities have yet to identify the person driving the truck that was seen ramming into the anti-Iranian regime protests in Los Angeles. According to ABC7, law enforcement ended up pulling a man from the U-Haul, who was also reportedly taken into custody.

Specific messaging highlighted on the Los Angeles U-Haul truck

As per videos being shared online, the U-Haul was plastered with a message that read, “NO SHAH. NO REGIME. USA: DON’T REPEAT 1953. NO MULLAH.”

Protesters even appeared to rip away several signs off the vehicle.

Far-right conspiracy theorist and staunch Trump ally Laura Loomer also took to her official X account to speak on the development.

“My Iranian friend just translated the yellow Farsi sign on the U-Haul that just rammed into a group of Iranian protesters in Los Angeles who were protesting against the Islamic regime of Iran. It’s talking about taking this from city to city,” she tweeted after the news of the LA incident broke.

She added: “A sign on the Uhaul says ‘No Shah! No Regime! USA: Don’t Repeat 1953!” No Mullah!’ This is Iranian terrorism on US soil.”

What is the significance of the ‘1953’ message on the U-Haul?

The slogan presumably looks back at the 1953 Iranian coup, which resulted in Iran’s then-elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh being overthrown from power and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi being restored.

America’s CIA and British spy agency MI6 orchestrated the coup, with both the US and the UK launching a covert operation called “Operation Ajax,” pushing for the removal of then-democratically-elected PM of Iran.

Hence, the slogan plastered over the U-Haul seen in Los Angeles is believed to serve as a warning against potential foreign intervention in Iranian affairs, especially with US President Donald Trump already having threatened to strike Iran over the mass killing of protesters.

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Just this weekend, Trump said the US “stands ready to help” as Iran “is looking at FREEDOM.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker issued a warning of their own, saying that if the US attacked, both Israel and US military would be targeted, as per the BBC. On top of that, Iran’s attorney general said anyone joining these anti-regime protests would be viewed as an “enemy of God.”

Khamenei, on his part, has branded protesters as a “bunch of vandals” looking to “please” Donald Trump.

The latest death toll figures provided by US-based rights group HRANA suggested that 490 protesters and 48 security personnel have died since the protests began in Iran, as per Reuters.

This is a developing story. More information is awaited.