Student Protesters in France Have a Strange New Slogan. What Does It Mean?

October 20, 2026 · 5:01 pm 1 sources

Image: The New York Times

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• Student Protesters in France Have a Strange New Slogan. What Does It Mean?
  The New York Times · October 20, 2026 17:01
  “Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres” has appeared on signs at recent demonstrations. It doesn’t make much sense (it means, “In the name of God, it’s the darkness”) but is seen as shorthand for a generational divide.