Student protesters adopt viral slogan in France

A phrase originating from Snapchat has become a rallying cry for student protesters and blockades across France and Belgium. The slogan, “Bismillah c’est les ténèbres” (roughly translating to “In the name of God, it is darkness”), emerged from a widely circulated screenshot of a message sent by a user named “Mamadou.”

The message, which used slang and included Algerian flag emojis, was perceived by students as a clumsy attempt by police infiltrators to mimic the language of immigrant youth to gather information on protest coordination. While the suspicion of police involvement remains unconfirmed, the perceived caricature of youth slang led students to adopt the phrase as a way to mock authorities.

The slogan has since spread through social media and physical protest signs, gaining attention from figures such as environmental activist Greta Thunberg and the Nouveau Parti anticapitaliste (NPA).