{
  "id": 15595860,
  "title": "‘Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres’: What does the French student protest slogan mean?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/bismillah-cest-les-tenebres-what-does-the-french-student-protest",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-19T11:01:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/19/bismillah-cest-les-tenebres-what-does-the-french-student-protest-slogan-mean"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The French student protest slogan \"Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres\" has become widely known in the past few weeks. Literally translated, it means \"In the name of God, it's the darkness,\" but this phrase holds no particular meaning and that is precisely the intention behind its widespread adoption.\n\n“Bismillah” is an Arabic phrase meaning \"in the name of God,\" which Muslims traditionally say before starting a task. In casual French slang, it can also be interpreted as \"let’s go.\" On the other hand, “c’est les ténèbres” translates to \"it's the darkness,\" and among youngsters, it's slang for a catastrophic or grim situation. Together, the phrase seems nonsensical – \"In the name of God, it's the darkness\" – which is exactly why it resonated with the students.\n\nThe origin of the slogan can be traced back to a Snapchat conversation screenshot that went viral at the beginning of October, as students used the app to organize school blockades. The message, posted by a user named \"Mamadou,\" read: \"Hi, in the name of God, it's the darkness. When's the blockade, wallah, bro?\" The message included Algerian flag emojis. Other similar screenshots showed students being asked about blockade locations and who was selling fireworks and smoke grenades. Many students concluded that these messages were written by police officers posing as teenagers to infiltrate private protest groups.\n\nWhile this has not been definitively proven, with neither the police nor the French interior ministry commenting on the screenshots, nor anyone independently verifying the claims, some internet users suggested that the accounts could be traced to locations near police stations. However, these claims have not been verified, and some circulating screenshots may themselves be hoaxes or parodies.\n\nThe student protests in France began on September 18 in Créteil, south-east of Paris, and quickly spread nationwide. Students are protesting various issues, including long school days, overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated schools, and teacher absences. They argue that these problems disproportionately affect working-class suburbs and minority communities. Around 400 schools were closed by blockades on October 2 alone.\n\nThe protests have also contributed to nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living that took place on October 17, which resulted in some of the worst rioting and looting France has seen in years. The slogan has spread beyond France, with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg using it during a visit to striking students in Seine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on October 13. It also appeared on placards at a union-led demonstration in Brussels against the Belgian government’s budget cuts, serving as a gesture of solidarity rather than a reference to the alleged infiltration claims.",
  "summary": "A Snapchat message, which students believe came from an undercover police officer, has become the rallying cry of a youth movement that has now spread to Belgium and Italy.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}