French Student Protests Lead to 8,000 Arrests and Police Probe

Hundreds of thousands of people protested across France this past weekend, combining a student-led movement for improved school resources with national labor union demonstrations. The student movement, which began last month, demands smaller class sizes, more teachers, and better facilities. While many events remained peaceful, some turned violent, leading to the ransacking of 24 schools and approximately 8,000 arrests.

Sabrine Kharbach, a spokeswoman for a prominent French student union, noted that protesters adopted the sardonic slogan “Bismillah, c’est les ténèbres” to mock suspected attempts by undercover law enforcement to infiltrate their groups via Snapchat. Students view the phrase's clumsy blend of Arabic and French as evidence of racial prejudice and a generational divide.

The Ministry of the Interior of France acknowledged that investigators may use pseudonyms to monitor unlawful activities. Meanwhile, France's official police watchdog is investigating 34 accusations of police misconduct, including the maiming of a 14-year-old boy with a tear-gas grenade. Similar slogans have also appeared in demonstrations in Belgium and Germany.