A deliberately absurd slogan, "Bismillah c'est les ténèbres," has become one of the most repeated chants at protests that drew hundreds of thousands of people across France over the weekend. According to students, the phrase originated in early October from an alleged police infiltration attempt on Snapchat, where an account under the name "Mamadou" clumsily mixed Arabic, slang expressions, and Algerian flag emojis, to the point that it appeared instantly artificial to young users.
Authorities have not confirmed this version of events, which remains unverified at this stage. But the slogan, repeated mockingly, has become for many protesters a broader symbol: of racial profiling seen as widespread within law enforcement, and of a disconnect between authorities and the everyday reality of young people, already marked by overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of teachers, and inequality between schools.
Youssef El Chazli, an associate professor at Paris 8 University, said the phrase "reinforces an image of out of touch policemen filled with stereotypes." The slogan has since spread beyond France, picked up at gatherings in Italy and Belgium.