# France protests: Bismillah slogan origin

> Students use French-Arabic phrase to mock undercover police in protests.
- Title: France protests: Bismillah slogan origin · mint | Shortify
- Summary: Students use French-Arabic phrase to mock undercover police in protests. French students adopted 'Bismillah, c'est les ténèbres' to mock suspected undercover…
- Keywords: france, bismillah, student protests, undercover police, snapchat, europe, seine saint denis, greta thunberg, belgium, italy, berlin, news
- Source: mint — https://livemint.com/news/world/france-protests-a-look-at-origin-of-bismillah-c-est-les-t-n-bres-slogan-in-which-other-countries-did-it-appear-11792590449441.html
- Author: Garvit Bhirani
- Published: 2026-10-21T14:39:47+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: france, bismillah, student protests, undercover police, snapchat, europe, seine saint denis, greta thunberg, belgium, italy, berlin, news
## Slogan origin
A French-Arabic phrase 'Bismillah, c'est les ténèbres' emerged from a Snapchat screenshot in early October.

> Hi, in the name of God, it's the darkness. When's the blockade, wallah, bro?
## Slogan meaning
The phrase loosely translates to 'In the name of God, it's the darkness' but has no coherent meaning.
## Student use
Students use the phrase to mock suspected undercover police officers trying to infiltrate protest groups.
## Greta Thunberg
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg repeated the phrase during a visit to striking students in Seine-Saint-Denis on October 13.
## Belgium protests
The slogan appeared at demonstrations in Brussels against Belgian budget cuts on October 9.
## Italy protests
Students used the phrase in Bologna on October 15 and Milan on October 17 and 18.
## Berlin school
A French school in Berlin displayed a banner with the phrase during student demonstrations.
## Protest reasons
Students protest long school days, overcrowded classrooms, and teacher shortages affecting working-class and minority communities.
## Military deployment
France will deploy military forces to support police during Saturday's protests to restore order.
## Undercover claim
Students suspect Snapchat accounts belonged to undercover police officers but the allegation remains unconfirmed.
## Key takeaway

French students adopted 'Bismillah, c'est les ténèbres' to mock suspected undercover police officers infiltrating protest groups.