WESTWOOD, Los Angeles (KABC) — Protests that started peacefully in Westwood on Sunday afternoon descended into chaos when a U-Haul truck drove toward hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside a federal building, leading to clashes between the crowd, drivers, and police.

Note: Latest coverage of this article has been moved here.

Video shows the moment a truck plows into a crowd on Veterans Avenue around 3:30 p.m. as people scream and rush away. Exclusive AIR7 shows police officers pulling the driver out of the truck while protesters surround him and attempt to hit him with objects including flagpoles, trash and hands. One of the protesters can be seen climbing onto a car and kicking the windshield.

After the driver was removed, protesters chased him and tried to beat him while police took him away and took him into custody. As tensions escalated, protesters sometimes tore political messages from trucks.

The rally was attended by hundreds of people in solidarity with the ongoing protests in Iran. Protests calling for a change in government due to the country’s economic collapse have been met with violent repression. Iranian human rights activists claim at least 538 people have been killed and more than 10,000 detained after 15 days of demonstrations.

“People are screaming and this person is coming through the crowd and trying to kill people,” said Sean Zarabi, who recorded video of police taking away the handcuffed driver.

The Iranian government has tried to contain the protests by cutting off access to the internet, making it difficult for people like Alan Silla to contact his grandmother in Iran. She cried as she described the situation there.

“It’s very sad because young people are dying every day there. Especially now, they don’t have freedom. We’re very lucky to live here. Our people there… maybe live on $50 a month. That’s someone’s salary. It’s very upsetting that women don’t have freedom. Women have to wear hijab. They have no rights. It’s very sad,” Alan said.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged demonstrators with differing views to peacefully exercise their rights, saying, “Even though we are in this very tense environment, it is always important for Angelenos to remember that our protests must be peaceful, no matter how condemnable the issue.”

Police said one demonstrator suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene. At a news conference Sunday night, officials said the driver was being treated at a hospital for his injuries and would likely face attempted assault with a deadly weapon charge.

Los Angeles police eventually issued a dispersal order, and the crowd quickly began to thin.

After the chaos subsided, a U-Haul was seen stopped in the area, surrounded by broken glass, debris and crime scene tape.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing.

The violence in Westwood comes as tensions continue to rise over Iran’s response to protests. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard an Air Force 1 flight that Iran’s crackdown may have crossed a red line and that the U.S. military has “strong options” at its disposal. A U.S. official told ABC News that the president is expected to be briefed on a possible U.S. response on Tuesday.

Related article: Death toll in Iran crackdown on protests soars to at least 538, activists say

Protests across Iran, sparked by the Islamic Republic’s economic downturn, have put new pressure on the country’s theocracy, with internet and phone networks shut down.

Tehran is still reeling from the 12-day war started by Israel in June, when the US bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Economic pressure has increased since September, when the United Nations reimposed sanctions on the country over its nuclear program, and Iran’s currency, the rial, has fallen sharply, now trading at more than 1.4 million rials to the dollar.

Meanwhile, Iran’s self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance,” a coalition of countries and armed groups backed by Tehran, has been in disarray since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023.

US President Donald Trump’s threat that the US would “come to the rescue” if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters” has taken on new meaning after US forces detained Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, Iran’s longtime ally.

President Trump warned: “We are watching closely.” “If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they will get a very hard blow from America.”

The collapse of the rial led to the expansion of Iran’s economic crisis. Prices of meat, rice, and other staples of Iran’s diet are soaring. The country suffers from an annual inflation rate of about 40%.

In December, Iran introduced a new price range for state-subsidized gasoline, increasing the price of some of the world’s cheapest gasoline and further increasing pressure on its people. The Iranian government may seek further price increases in the future, as the government currently plans to review prices every three months. Meanwhile, food prices are expected to rise after Iran’s central bank ended the subsidized dollar-rial exchange rate for all products except medicines and wheat in recent days.

Protests began in late December in Tehran’s shopping streets and have since expanded. The demonstrations initially focused on economic issues, but soon protesters were seen chanting anti-government statements. Anger has been simmering for years, especially after the death of 22-year-old Martha Amini in police custody in 2022, which sparked nationwide demonstrations.

Some have spoken out in support of Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, who called for the protests.

The US-based Human Rights Defenders News Agency reported early Sunday that more than 570 protests were held in all 31 Iranian provinces.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.