French stars lop off hair in solidarity with Iran protesters

Some of France's best-known actresses have chopped off their hair in an act of solidarity with ongoing protests in Iran.

'Soutienfemmesiran', a collective of artists, formed to show solidarity with the protesters, who began taking to the streets after Mahsa (Jina) Amini was allegedly fatally beaten by Iranian morality police for wearing her headscarf 'improperly'.

They posted a video on Wednesday of some of France's most famous faces showing their support for the protesters through the gesture.

More than 50 artists - including Juliette Binoche and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard - cut their hair on camera, replicating an act performed by men and women in Iran and elsewhere in response to the 22-year-old Kurdish woman's death.

"For freedom," Binoche says before taking a pair of scissors to her hair.

Iranians angered by Amini's death and the Iranian leadership's systematic oppression of women have taken to the streets across the country to protest.

Protesters have been met with a fierce crackdown from security forces, with at least 133 people killed, according to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group.

"Since Mahsa's death, which occurred on 16 September, the Iranian people, women at the forefront, have been protesting at the risk of their lives," Soutienfemmesiran said.

"These women, these men, are asking for our support... So we decided to answer the call that was thrown at us by cutting some of these locks."

The campaign is showing little sign of slowing down, with its Instagram page posting a video on Thursday of Italian-French model and singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, wife of former French president Nicholas Sarkozy, cutting off her locks.