Hollywood actor-director Jodie Foster gave an impassioned anti-Donald Trump speech during a rally against the President’s resurfacing Muslim ban.

Foster was addressing 1,200 protesters outside the Los Angeles headquarters of United Talent Agency (UTA) which held the demonstration in place of its annual Oscars party.

She warned the crowd of an “attack on democracy” telling the gathered protestors it was “time to show up.”

“I’m not somebody who feels very comfortable using my public face for activism,” she said. “This year is a very different year and it’s time to show up. It’s the singular time in history. It’s time to engage.

Foster continued: “We know the first attack on democracy is an assault on free expression and civil liberties and this relentless war on truth. Unfortunately, it’s too familiar because history repeats itself. No matter where you’re born and no matter who you voted for, red or blue, whether you’re white, black or brown and all the colours of the identity rainbow – this is our time to resist.

“It’s our time to show up and demand answers. It’s our time to tell our elected officials to do their job.”

UTA represents Asghar Farhadi, the one-time Oscar-winning director of Foreign Language nominee The Salesman; the filmmaker was affected by Trump’s travel ban which the President is trying to enact once more having been blocked by US courts.

Farhadi – who has boycotted this year’s Oscars ceremony – also spoke at the rally via video link from Tehran.

He said: “It is comforting to know that at a time when some politicians are trying to promote hate by creating divisions between cultures, religions and nationalities, the cinema community has joined the people in a common show of unity to announce its opposition.

“I hope this unity will continue and spread to fight other injustices.”