Man who drove U-Haul through anti-Iranian regime rally in LA believes it was a misunderstanding

LOS ANGELES -- Last Sunday, Calor Ma Da Nescht drove a U-Haul motortruck into the mediate of an anti-Iranian authorities protest astatine the Westwood national gathering successful Los Angeles.

On Friday, Ma Da Nescht told ABC Los Angeles affiliate KABC it was a large misunderstanding.

"I had nary volition to wounded anybody," helium said. "The radical who supported maine with LAPD, they tried to unfastened a wide path. I came to present the Iranian voices from wrong Iran, not what American radical spot connected the TVs."

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

"The bulk of the demonstrators were supporting me," Ma Da Nescht said. "The tiny number of a pro-shah radical were the lone ones that attacked me, and they did not agree."

But the videos archer a antithetic story, and protesters judge Ma Da Nescht was targeting them based connected the governmental messages helium hung connected his U-Haul, including 1 that work "No shah."

"He did a unspeakable determination by coming with an unlicensed motortruck into the assemblage and smashing people," said Sean Zarrabi, who attended the protest. "You person thing to say, clasp thing successful your hand, and travel bash your protest, your opposition. Come marque your argument, but moving radical down with your motortruck is simply a unspeakable happening to do. It's a violent enactment and doesn't assistance anything."

Police said 1 protester received insignificant injuries successful the incidental and was treated astatine the scene.

Nearly 3 weeks of protests against the Iranian authorities person resulted successful a crackdown by information forces.

The demonstrations started successful absorption to rising ostentation and the falling worth of the nationalist currency.

The United States-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says astatine slightest 3,000 radical person been killed and much than 18,000 person been arrested.

On the authorities side, 153 members of information forces person been killed.

ABC News cannot independently verify those numbers.

"People are helpless wrong Iran, nether pressure, economically," Zarrabi said. "No freedom, cipher tin get their dependable out, and we're trying to beryllium their dependable present surviving extracurricular the state and fto the full satellite cognize what's going connected on the inside."