In an act of defiance showing the broadening support for protesters in Iran, popular actress Taraneh Alidoosti has published a photo of herself without a head scarf holding a sign with the slogan "Woman, life, freedom."
Alidoosti is one of the most prominent Iranian actresses and the star of the Oscar-winning 2016 film The Salesman, directed by Asghar Farhadi.
Soon after Alidoosti's picture came out on social media, two other Iranian actresses, Khazar Masoumi and Donya Madani, also published their pictures without a hijab.
The moves come amid a brutal crackdown by the government on weeks of unrest -- one of the deepest challenges to the Islamic regime since the revolution in 1979 -- that erupted following the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly.
The hijab -- the head covering worn by Muslim women -- became compulsory in public for Iranian women and girls over the age of 9 after the revolution. The publication of pictures of actresses without a hijab can lead to the cancellation of their work permits.
Since the start of daily protests that have rocked Iran since Amini's death, several Iranian cinematographers and prominent public figures have been summoned or arrested, including Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasulof, and Mostafa al-Ahmad.
Several celebrities, including actor Hamid Farrokhnejad, have been interrogated and had their passports confiscated after showing support for the protests.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the pressure on protesting students is increasing.
The Iranian student union council reported on November 10 that Tehran University officials have asked some protesting students to vacate and hand over their dormitory rooms.
The day before, security agents attacked the dormitory for medical students in Kerman in central Iran. Three students were taken to the hospital after being hit by rubber bullets fired by police.
Since Amini's death, more than 300 people have been killed in the police crackdown, according to rights groups. Several thousand more have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others.