‘Bismillah, c'est les ténèbres’ slogan marks French student protests

The mixed Arabic-French slogan, “Bismillah, c'est les ténèbres”, has been widely used by students in protests in France and spread rapidly on social media. The phrase, which literally means “In the name of Allah, this is darkness,” appeared on cardboard barricades outside schools and also turned up in parody videos. According to CNN Indonesia, the expression stood out because it sounded like an attempt to mimic youth slang but did not come across as natural. Its origin was traced to a Snapchat conversation screenshot from early October, when students were planning school blockades. In the circulated messages, an account named “Mamadou” asked about the blockade schedule and where to buy fireworks and smoke grenades. Some students then suspected the account was being used by an undercover police officer, but police and France's Interior Ministry have not commented, and the claim has not been confirmed.