Why are French protesters chanting ‘Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres’?

Hundreds of thousands of people have protested across France over worsening education conditions, the rising cost of living, inequality and a lack of opportunity. The chant “Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres,” adopted by students as a rallying cry, combines an Arabic expression meaning “in the name of God” with a phrase suggesting a bleak, hopeless situation. Students say it mocks racial stereotyping by police and the force’s attempt to infiltrate protesters’ online chats. France’s police inspectorate has opened dozens of investigations into alleged police violence since the protests began.