Kristen Stewart Joins 'Women, Life, Freedom' Protest Against Iranian Regime at Berlinale

Glenn Garner
·2 min read
19
18 February 2023, Berlin: Mariette Rissenbeek (center l), Managing Director Berlinale, Kristen Stewart (M), jury president and actress, and Golshifteh Farahani (center r), jury member and actress, take part in a show of solidarity for women in Iran during the Berlinale. The 73rd International Film Festival runs until February 26, 2023. Photo: Monika Skolimowska/dpa (Photo by Monika Skolimowska/picture alliance via Getty Images)
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Monika Skolimowska/picture alliance via Getty

Kristen Stewart spoke up for human rights in Iran during the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival.

The Academy Award nominee, 32, who is this year's Berlinale jury president, joined Iranian filmmakers and actors in a "Women, Life, Freedom" demonstration against Iran's repressive regime Saturday on the Berlinale red carpet, Variety reported.

The group of film professionals held up signs with the slogan, which has become a battle cry for the anti-government human rights activists who have been protesting around the world since September.

RELATED: Angelina Jolie Says Women of Iran 'Need Freedom to Live' as Protests Continue After Mahsa Amini's Death

Stewart joined Berlinale excutive director Mariëtte Rissenbeck and artistic director Carlo Chatrian, as well as fellow jury member and Iranian-American star of The Siren, Golshifteh Farahani.

The Siren director Sepideh Farsi and Holy Spider actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi also took part in Saturday's silent protest ahead of the premiere of Zhang Lü's Bai Ta Zhi Guang (The Shadowless Tower). Farsi and Ebrahimi also participated in the panel "The Role of Cinema and the Arts in the Iranian Revolution" before the demonstration.

A picture obtained by AFP outside Iran on September 21, 2022, shows Iranian demonstrators taking to the streets of the capital Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody. - Protests spread to 15 cities across Iran overnight over the death of the young woman Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the country's morality police, state media reported today.In the fifth night of street rallies, police used tear gas and made arrests to disperse crowds of up to 1,000 people, the official IRNA news agency said.

AFP via Getty

As the festival has become a lightning rod for many social and political issues over the years, Thursday's opening night gala celebrated the people of Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

RELATED: Iran Says It Hasn't Abolished the Hijab-Enforcing Morality Police — Here's Why Reports Claimed Otherwise

Meanwhile, protesters on the red carpet held demonstrations for women's rights in Iran, climate change and fair wages for Berlin movie theater workers.

"Whether you like it or not, this festival in particular, historically, is in a positive way, confrontational and political," said Stewart at the opening press conference, THR reported.

RELATED VIDEO: Ongoing Protests in Iran Spark Support Worldwide

Protests have sparked across Iran and spread around the world since September, when 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini was detained by the country's morality police for not covering her hair in public, as required by law. She died in police custody three days later.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Saturday's demonstration included signs with photos of female Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who were arrested for reporting on Amini's death, according to Reuters. Protesters also demanded the release of dissident Iranian hip hop artist Toomaj Salehi, who is accused of spreading propaganda and could face the death penalty, CNN reported.