From mint · Garvit Bhirani · · 1m 20s
France protests: Bismillah slogan origin
Students use French-Arabic phrase to mock undercover police in protests.
In brief
Students use French-Arabic phrase to mock undercover police in protests. French students adopted 'Bismillah, c'est les ténèbres' to mock suspected undercover police officers infiltrating protest groups. Originally reported by mint.
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.
In short
French students adopted 'Bismillah, c'est les ténèbres' to mock suspected undercover police officers infiltrating protest groups.
