Francesca Albanese Closes Paris Arena Speech With Arabic Pro-Palestinian Slogan
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese took the stage before a crowd of 20,000 people at the Accor Arena in Paris on October 29, 2026, concluding her address with the phrase “Bismillah, c’est la lumière,” liberoquotidiano.it reported.
The phrase translates to “In the name of God, it is the light.” Albanese delivered the remark at the second Paris stop of the Free Palestine Tour featuring rapper Macklemore. Macklemore, an artist from Seattle, previously faced exclusion from Ed Sheeran’s tour following public statements regarding Israel that included accusations of genocide and apartheid.
Inside the Accor Arena Address and Resistance Rhetoric
During her speech to the packed Paris venue, Albanese detailed her documentation of conditions in the Palestinian territories. She pointed to a four-year record of events, citing the massacre, slander, humiliation, dispossession, beatings, torture, rape, and the violation of homes and memory. “I have seen, and what I have seen I have described rigorously. I will not change my words to fit power,” she stated.
Albanese then addressed critics and figures she accused of silencing dissent. Directing her comments toward those who protect power and threaten individuals refusing to remain silent, she urged them to work alongside her rather than against them. She invited the audience to convert solidarity into active participation by thinking, moving, acting, dancing, and dreaming together.
The closing phrase inverted a slogan originating from recent French student protests. That slogan, spread via Snapchat messages, was attributed by students to an alleged undercover police officer before evolving into a satirical jab at law enforcement.
Western Nations Push for Removal Amid International Backlash
The UN official’s appearance alongside the Seattle rapper occurs amid international friction. Germany, France, and the United States have taken positions against her, and in Italy, except for the left, calls were unanimous that the special rapporteur should be removed.
The event in Paris follows other recent public appearances by the UN rapporteur. These include domestic Italian engagements, such as a scheduled presence in Modena, alongside public events involving figures like Greta Thunberg.
