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The New York Times report

Why 'Bismillah, c'est les tenebres' became a French protest mystery

Published : Wednesday, 21 October, 2026 at 6:03 PM

Observer Online Report

Collected Photo

Millions of people marched across France last week in support of student protesters, with many carrying cardboard placards featuring a strange slogan—"Bismillah, c'est les tenebres."

Combining the Muslim prayer phrase "in the name of Allah" with the French phrase "it is darkness," the sentence appears to hold little literal sense. However, it has evolved into a symbol of generational divide since young people began protesting over inadequate educational equipment in schools last month—a movement that later turned violent.

How the phrase emerged

The phrase was reportedly first used on Snapchat by an individual trying to enter a private chatroom used by student movement organizers. The sender greeted Snapchat users with "Bismillah, c'est les tenebres," mimicking a blend of Arabic and French slang used by young people in France. The message was followed by the line, "We will break everything down."

It is believed the message was sent from multiple profiles using names like Mamadou and Abdallah, alongside Algerian flag emojis. Other Snapchat users found the message absurd, took screenshots, and shared them on social media.

What happened next

Many young people suspected the messages originated from law enforcement officers clumsily attempting to infiltrate the student protest movement. Protesters quickly adopted "Bismillah, c'est les tenebres" as a satirical slogan to mock the authorities' efforts to suppress their movement.

The slogan is now viewed as a metaphor for long-standing tensions between law enforcement agencies and protesters, particularly students and French citizens of Black and Arab origin.

Children of former French colonies, alongside Black and Arab youths, have long complained of discrimination by authorities and alleged that police tried to misrepresent them through these messages.

When asked, the French Ministry of the Interior declined to comment on whether its agents used the phrase. However, it acknowledged that law enforcement officers sometimes operate incognito online to monitor those planning illegal acts during demonstrations.

In a statement, the ministry said investigating agents use pseudonyms to trace and preserve communications involving offenders for legal proceedings.

Why the sentence resonated

For student protesters, the phrase highlighted a generational divide between their movement and the government, which they felt largely refused to address their demands. Sabrine Kharbache, a spokesperson for an influential French student union, said young people do not talk like that.

She added that youth adopted the phrase to show that surveillance or infiltration attempts do not escape their attention and that they can organize regardless.

Sadani Sabadi, a Bordeaux University student participating in the protests, said the Snapchat messages reflected the authorities' prejudice, as if they had pre-determined who was building barricades or trying to "break everything down."

Phedre Kemen, a high school student in Paris, said the phrase became a national joke because it was "a very poor imitation of a young person." She added that the phrase was viewed as an example of racism, implying that those damaging property were exclusively Arabs.

How the slogan spread beyond France

The "Bismillah, c'est les tenebres" slogan was also seen in similar protests in Belgium and Germany. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg uttered the phrase in a video posted on her Instagram account to show solidarity with the student movement. In the video, Thunberg also made gestures popular among Gen-Z youths, including a gesture related to "six-seven" that became a viral meme.

The adoption of this slogan mirrors the humor seen during India's "Cockroach Movement," where students led protests demanding better education system reforms. Protesters named their movement after India's Chief Justice mocked unemployed youths as "parasites" and "cockroaches."

How the protests started

The student protests that spread across French schools last month initially demanded the renovation of dilapidated school buildings, recruitment of more teachers, reduction of class sizes, and relaxation of rigid schedules.

While many demonstrations remained peaceful, some turned violent. At least 24 schools were set on fire or vandalized. The government arrested nearly 8,000 individuals suspected of involvement in the violence. The protest gradually merged with a national movement led by trade unions and other groups, escalating into nationwide demonstrations and widespread riots last weekend.

Hardline police tactics further angered protesters. An official French watchdog is currently investigating at least 34 complaints of excessive police force since last month, including an incident where a 14-year-old boy was disabled after an officer fired tear gas and a grenade at close range.

-SA