Leviathan Movement

The Leviathan Movement (Serbian: Покрет Левијатан, romanized: Pokret Levijatan) is a far-right ultranationalist political party in Serbia, that identifies as an animal rights organization.[3] It has been criticized for its anti-human rights behaviour and ideology. Party is led by Pavle Bihali, a grandson of the late Serbian-Jewish academic, Pavle Bihalji and a grand-nephew of Oto Bihalji-Merin.

Leviathan Movement

Покрет Левијатан
Pokret Levijatan
AbbreviationLevijatan
PresidentPavle Bihali
Founded2015 (as an organization)
2020 (as a political party)
HeadquartersBelgrade, Serbia
IdeologySerbian ultranationalism
Neo-fascism[1][2]
Anti-immigration
Hard Euroscepticism
Anti-vaccination
Animal rights (self-declared)
Political positionFar-right
ColorsBlack
National Assembly
0 / 250
Assembly of Vojvodina
0 / 120
City Assembly of Belgrade
0 / 110
Website
https://levijatan.org/

History

The organization was founded in 2015 as an animal rights organization that seeks to protect animals. Since then, the organization quickly got attention and it became the largest animal rights organization in ex-Yugoslavia. In 2016, the movement became popular when videos of the members of organization rescuing animals showed up on social media, as well as videos of them offering compensation for information on animal abusers.[4] Initially, the movement only focused on animal rights issues, exposing animal abusers, and taking their animals away from them.[5] However, the movement has shifted from solely being an animal rights group to openly talking about political issues, mainly illegal immigration. In 2020, the organization announced that they will be forming a party that will participate in the 2020 Serbian parliamentary election, in a coalition with the anti-vax, eurosceptic, anti-immigration and ultranationalist "I live for Serbia" movement. The party since then has been described as ultranationalist, neo-fascist and anti-immigration by the media.[6]

Controversies
Members of the movement protesting in front of a migrant center, after their member was arrested for breaking into it with a car.

Leviathan has been heavily criticized for its anti-human rights behaviour.[7] In November 2018, the leaders of the movement, Pavle Bihali and Aleksandar Buhanac were arrested for making threats on Facebook, but soon after they were released.[8] Even after this, he continued threatening people on social media, including minors.[9]

In April 2020, members of the movement took the family dog of a Romani family away from them, claiming that the dog was abused and that it was used for dog fights. However this claim was denied by the people living in the neighbourhood.[10] Not long after, a member of Leviathan drove through the gate of a refugee camp in Obrenovac, threatening to run over the refugees. After the attacker was arrested, the members of the movement protested in front of the camp.[11]

In October 2020, police in Belgrade have arrested six members of Leviathan who are suspected of beating one person in early October 2020.[12]

Electoral results
National Assembly of Serbia
Year Leader Popular vote % of popular vote # of seats Seat change Coalitions Government
2020 Pavle Bihali 22,691 0.7%
0 / 250
 with I live for Serbia No seats

See also

References
  1. "Ljubitelji životinja koji vređaju žrtve fašista - šta je, zapravo, Levijatan?". N1. May 20, 2020.
  2. "Pavle Bihali je spojio nemoguće, jevrejsko poreklo i nacističke simbole". NOVA portal. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  3. Colborne, Michael (June 18, 2020). "Levijatan: Serbian Animal Rights Vigilantes Go To The Polls". Bellingcat.
  4. "Razvojni put Levijatana: Od brige za pse do potere za migrantima". Istinomer (in Serbian). 2020-05-29. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  5. Petface (2018-01-04). "LEVIJATAN: "Imamo svedočenja o silovanju i mučenju pasa, ali meštani ćute iz straha"!". Petface.net. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  6. "Ljubitelji životinja koji vređaju žrtve fašista - šta je, zapravo, Levijatan?". N1. May 20, 2020.
  7. "Pokret Levijatan poziva na linč dece i ovo je moj odgovor, ipak nemam 14 godina". Noizz.rs (in Serbian). 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  8. "Vođe "Levijatana" uhapšene pa puštene". www.novosti.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  9. "Pavle Bihali je spojio nemoguće, jevrejsko poreklo i nacističke simbole". NOVA portal. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  10. "Levijatan i dalje "posećuje" Rome i oduzima životinje". Mašina. 2020-04-15. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  11. N.N.G, J. O. "SRAMNI PROTEST U OBRENOVCU Ultradesničari daju podršku članu Levijatana koji je upao u prihvatni centar i tako nastavljaju da ŠIRE MRŽNJU". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  12. Beta, Piše. "Uhapšeno šest članova Levijatana zbog sumnje da su pretukli jednu osobu". Dnevni list Danas (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-10-16.
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