U-Haul driver who drove through anti-Iranian regime rally in Westwood believes it was 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 told Eyewitness News it was 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.”

AIR7 captured exclusive video of Ma Da Nescht being pulled from the U-Haul by police. He was arrested for reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor. Protesters battled with Ma Da Nescht to get him to stop the truck.

“The majority of the demonstrators were supporting me,” said Ma Da Nescht. “The small minority of a pro-shah group were the only ones that attacked me and they did not agree.”

But the videos tell a different story, and protesters believe Ma Da Nescht was targeting them based on the political messages he hung on his U-Haul, including one that 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.”

Nearly three weeks of protests against the Iranian regime has resulted in a crackdown by security forces.

The demonstrations started in opposition to rising inflation and the falling value of the national currency.

The United States-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says at least 3,000 people have been killed and more than 18,000 have been arrested.

On the government side, 153 members of security forces have been killed.

ABC News cannot independently verify those numbers.

“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.”