Driver of U-Haul truck that entered Iran protest crowd speaks out: 'All I want is peace'

The operator of a U-Haul motortruck that drove done protesters demonstrating against the Iranian authorities successful Los Angeles connected Sunday claims that constabulary waved him onto the thoroughfare afloat of protesters, and that helium ne'er meant to wounded anyone.

Calor Madanescht, 48, was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department connected suspicion of reckless driving pursuing the incident.

"I had nary volition to deed anybody," Madanescht told FOX11 Los Angeles.

Madanescht said an LAPD serviceman waved him onto the avenue, wherever helium intended to articulation the protest. However, helium claims a pro-Shah radical began to onslaught him.

IRAN REGIME OPENED FIRE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION ON PROTESTERS, DOCTOR SAYS: ‘SHOOT-TO-KILL’

Calor Madanescht, 48, said that helium did not mean to deed anybody arsenic helium drove the U-Haul truck. He claims helium was attacked by a pro-Shah group, which prompted him to thrust done the crowd. (FOX11 Los Angeles KTTV)

"I was truly acrophobic for my life," helium said, adding that immoderate protesters helped wide a way truthful helium could thrust away. "They were telling me, ‘Go, go,’ and they opened the path, arsenic you spot successful the video."

Video online appears to amusement the U-Haul motortruck moving rapidly done a dense assemblage arsenic radical screamed on Veteran Avenue adjacent the Federal Building successful the Westwood neighborhood. A banner connected the broadside of the motortruck read, successful each superior letters, "NO SHAH. NO REGIME. USA: DON’T REPEAT 1953. NO MULLAH."

"All I privation is bid and quality rights for everyone successful Iran and for minorities," Madanescht said.

Madanescht said that the was astatine the protestation successful enactment of the Iranian people. He said helium suffered bruised eyes from the attack. (FOX11 Los Angeles KTTV)

GRAHAM SUGGESTS TRUMP ‘HELP’ IRAN PROTESTERS WITH ‘MILITARY, CYBER AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTACKS’ AGAINST REGIME

Madanescht said that erstwhile helium pulled over, different demonstrators began to onslaught him. He showed the outlet a bandaged hand, a chopped connected his ear, bruises and achromatic eyes.

Madanescht shows a bandaged hand, claiming helium suffered injuries during the attack. (FOX11 Los Angeles KTTV)

Another video shows the assemblage of radical moving toward the motortruck and surrounding it arsenic radical tin beryllium heard chanting astatine the operator down the wheel. One subordinate of the assemblage climbed onto the motortruck and stomped connected its windshield. Others stuck flagpoles done an unfastened passenger-side window, appearing to jab the suspect.

Anti-Iranian authorities protesters successful Los Angeles swarmed a U-Haul motortruck that drove done the gathering connected Sunday, smashing its windshield and attacking the fishy with emblem poles until constabulary arrived to instrumentality the antheral into custody. (Alaleh Kamran via Storyful)

During Madanescht’s interrogation with the outlet, 2 men who were astatine the protestation gave their accounts of what happened.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE APPEALS TO TRUMP AS IRAN PROTESTS MARK ‘DEFINING' MOMENT

"They kept punching him, hitting him," said 1 of the men, identified arsenic Mehdi. "They broke the window, kicked the truck, assaulted him, and helium has a close to escaped speech."

Police said the big antheral operator has been detained pending further investigation. His individuality has yet to beryllium released. (Alaleh Kamran via Storyful)

The different antheral questioned Madanescht's assertion that LAPD had waved him onto a thoroughfare that was occupied by demonstrators.

A operator drove a U-Haul motortruck done a assemblage during a Los Angeles objection successful enactment of the Iranian radical connected Sunday. (KTTV)

But Madanescht maintained that his intentions for being astatine the protestation were lone peaceful.

"The world is I peacefully came, cooperated with LAPD, and I'm profoundly grateful for them," helium said. "They merit the highest praise for putting their lives connected the enactment to prevention mine."

The protestation comes amid ongoing unrest successful Iran, wherever demonstrations that began implicit economical grievances have spread nationwide, evolving into a nonstop situation to Iran's clerical leadership.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations successful Iran, said astatine slightest 18,470 radical person been arrested and the confirmed deaths of 2,615 individuals. HRANA said 2,435 of those killed were protesters, including 13 children nether the property of 18.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.