A protest against the Iranian regime was held today on the red carpet at the Berlin International Film Festival. Known as Berlinale, the film festival is no stranger to protests. A group of about 100 people, including Iranian filmmakers, showed their support for Iran’s Women Life Freedom protests. American actress Kristen Stewart was among them.

Stewart is in Berlin this year as the president of its international jury. Actress Golshifteh Farahani, a member of Stewart’s international jury, and Holy Spider actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi and The Siren director Sepideh Farsi were among those participating as a show of solidarity. Festival co-chiefs Carlo Chatrian and Mariëtte Rissenbeek flanked Stewart during the protest. Ebrahimi, who was born in Tehran, was forced to flee Iran in 2008. She said the filmmaking community that remains in Iran is becoming bolder in its challenges to the Iranian regime even though it comes with big risks.

“They just leave their fear. They want to be part of something important,” she told the panel.

“They want to do something without censorship, without government control, and that costs their careers in Iran and can cost their lives.”

She noted that her Holy Spider co-star Mehdi Bajestani had been unable to return home to Iran after traveling to Cannes for the world premiere.

“He got stuck in Europe. It’s too dangerous now for him to get back,” she said.

Despite persistent rain for much of the day, the protest went forward on Saturday afternoon. Most protesters were Iranian citizens. Protesters held signs with the slogan adopted by the anti-regime demonstrators, ‘Zan, Zedegi, Azadi’ which translates from Arabic as ‘Women, Life, Freedom’, as well as other signs.

There were also signs calling for the release of Iranian hip-hop artist Toomaj Salehi; and Niloofar Hamedi and Elaha Mohammadi, two women who are still being held in detention for their reporting on the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September last year, news of which has sparked the current protest movement.

The majority of the Competition jurors then arrived, including Stewart, who stood alongside fellow juror, Iranian-French actress Golshifteh Farahani; the total number on the red carpet had risen to around 100 by then. Farahani gave an emotional speech at Thursday’s opening ceremony in which she said “art… is like oxygen. Art and culture is a fire – we can all gather together and warm ourselves up.”

The Iranian regime is detaining citizens, including those in the film industry, and the detentions have made headlines. Major Iranian directors have been held including Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof. Panahi and Rasoulof are now reported to be temporarily released from prison.

The Berlinale will also hold a show of solidarity with Ukraine on the red carpet next Friday, February 24. It marks the one-year mark since Putin’s latest invasion of Ukraine.

Thursday two climate extremists glued themselves to the red carpet. The man and woman called for the German government and society to take more action to fight climate change. They waited until after the arrival of the film stars at the Berlinale Palast for the festival’s opening ceremony. The ceremony featured a video speech by Ukraine’s President Zelensky. The film “She Came to Me”, directed by American director Rebecca Miller premiered. Miller is the wife of actor Daniel Day-Lewis.

The climate protesters delivered the usual doom and gloom message.

The Last Generation group, which was behind the protest, said the current government and society are the last ones left with a chance of preventing the course to a climate hell with billions of deaths.

“Advertising for sustainability on a small scale, as the Berlinale does, is important, but it will not save us on its own. We need to turn things around now,” Raphael Voellmy, one of the activists, said in a statement.

“If we continue escaping from reality, we will tear the first climate tipping points and unleash a deadly avalanche from which there is no escape,” Lisa Winkelmann, the other activist, said.

The longevity of the anti-regime protests in Iran is admirable. The risks are high for the protesters yet they persist. Those wishing for regime change and freedom in Iran should be supported and encouraged by Westerners who live the life for which Iranians strive. Ronald Reagan famously supported those living under the control of oppressive regimes during the days of the Cold War. He was a major force in bringing down the Berlin Wall. Today’s leaders are not so brave and bold. The current resident in the White House doesn’t even bother to pay lip service in support of the anti-regime protesters. The protests were begun by Iranian women. Biden likes to pretend he is a big supporter of women yet when he can lend his voice in support of freedom for women and all Iranians, he remains silent. Shame on him.