A Vermonter was among the neo-Nazis and other “Unite the Right” types who shook up Charlottesville, Va., in a march-turned-mêlée last weekend. Today’s white supremacists don’t wear hoods, apparently, so as soon as the tiki-torch-wielding images went viral, internet vigilantes around the country started naming and shaming them.
Locals first recognized 28-year-old Ryan Roy in a Vice News video clip. Wearing a backpack and holding a torch, Roy is seen briefly chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!”
On Tuesday Seven Days tracked down Burlington resident Roy, who said the rally “showed that we’re a legitimate movement, that this is a movement of people. It’s not like a fringe thing.”
In a 25-minute interview, Roy admitted to attending the weekend’s events and spoke unabashedly about his “white identitarian” views.
“I feel like white people are discriminated against in this country,” Roy said. “You see a lot of stuff in the media and in popular culture portrayed by the left in this country that is, frankly, anti-white. But that’s not white supremacy. We just want to stand up for our own culture and heritage.”
He continued: “If you look up the definitions of ‘black pride’ or ‘Puerto Rican pride’ or ‘Asian pride,’ those will be considered pride in whatever race that is. But if you look up ‘white pride’ online, it’s white supremacy. It has negative connotations.”
Roy, who grew up in Essex, said his views evolved over time. He used to be a “leftist” before he realized “it didn’t make sense, it was bullshit” and adopted more “libertarian-type views.”
“I became more conservative as I became more informed, read more — and that’s where I am now,” Roy said. “I’m a person who’s interested in reading, who’s interested in learning so I’m always refining my opinions and ideas as I learn new information.”
Those who knew him as a teenager said he was “angry,” but far from a full-throated white nationalist.
“Back then he was just a goth-punk kid, and it never would have occurred to me — it seemed counterintuitive to the crowd we ran with, and especially our close friends,” said Kae Burdo.
Seeing Roy in the video “makes my skin crawl,” Burdo said.
“We forget that Vermont isn’t immune from this, I think. It’s a moment of the bubble bursting for a lot of folk,” she said.
Roy’s employer, Uno Pizzeria & Grill in South Burlington, learned of his activities from phone and Facebook messages.
“Are you aware that you employed an actual nazi?” one person wrote on the company’s Facebook page.
Roy originally was suspended, according to Skip Weldon, Uno’s chief marketing officer. He said the company learned on Tuesday morning that Roy had participated in the Charlottesville rally. The company later announced it had fired Roy.
Roy declined to comment on his employment situation. He did tell Seven Days he sings in a band called “Hate Speech,” which he described as a “power electronics against Communism” group.
He’s also a supporter of President Donald Trump.
“He came out and said things like it is,” Roy said. “He addressed the main issue in this country, which I think is immigration. And that we need to do something about illegal immigration, and frankly, legal immigration.”
Roy said attending the rally “reinforced the feeling” that the white nationalist movement is legitimate and he defended his decision to exercise his First Amendment rights. Are there more rallies in his future? “Probably,” he said.
“My views are right. I don’t feel like I need to hide it,” he said. “I’m not oppressing anyone. I’m not hurting anyone. I’m not breaking any laws. I feel the way I feel.”
“It’s a very nice city, and there’s not a lot of crime because it’s a very white city,” Roy said. “And because Vermont is a very white state, you don’t have all these problems you have in other parts of the country.”
What Roy doesn’t like, he told Seven Days, are the refugees in the area.
“They take jobs, they are given resources from our tax dollars,” he said. “You hear about how there’s a housing shortage in Chittenden County, but they’re putting up these people who aren’t from this country. They bring them over and they don’t even speak our language.”
Roy said he’d heard from some friends that he’d been outed. He was concerned because “radical leftists” posted threats against him and his family online.
“I didn’t do anything wrong, I didn’t participate in any violence,” he said. “Just exercising my First Amendment rights.”
At the end of the conversation, Roy asked me about my political views. Then, he asked me about my last name: Goldstein.
“You are Jewish, right? Are you ethnically Jewish?” he asked.
I asked him how that was relevant to our interaction.
“It just means that I’m concerned that you’re going to lie about me,” Roy said.
“Why would you say I would lie about you?” I asked him.
“Because,” he replied, “that tends to be what your ethnic group does.”
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Wonder what his view on ceding back American lands taken by force from Indian nations. All of us except for native Americans are immigrants and foreigners. Tony Redington Burlington
This is hard to read, and the video is devastating — especially after hearing Trump’s rogue speech today. We like to think Burlington is different, but hearing from someone from Burlington who was marching in Charlottesville, with a tiki torch, is stark reality. Thanks to SG and 7-D for raising our awareness.
Hopefully, this convinces other such scumbags to stay in hiding. I’d love to see every person in attendance outed, and subsequently unemployed.
Speaking of unemployment, I don’t believe Mr. Roy will have a case to collect following his attendance at the rally. Hopefully, he takes the message and moves on to somewhere else.
Steveo are you really ok with a person losing their job because they disagree with or express different views than you. Comrade that is one of the foundation blocks of communism. Are you suggesting the USA the home of FREEDOM practice communism. Do you see now how crazy the liberal thoughts that are flowing threw this country today are destroying it. The left is only steps away from for filling their dreams of turning the USA into the new U.S.S.R. For all the millennials out their that don’t know the U.S.S.R is modern day Russia. Now that’s collusion for ya kids.
Dear CITIZEN,
It’s “out there,” not “out their.”
I wonder who would support Native Americans if they had a racial nationalist movement. Their case for ownership of this continent is a bit stronger.
this is so terribly sad –
it boils down to one single word
education
he is profoundly uneducated
you can’t be even marginally educated and think this way
he is just another sad, loser white dude working (or not working now) in some dead-end low wage loser job
plus he’s got the terrible after effects of those stupid ear things
he doesn’t have enough money (or health insurance) to have some desperately needed cosmetic surgery to fix his ears
to think there are angry, loser white dudes like this all over the country –
they think immigrants are the problem –
it’s all about lack of education
that is what fuels his hate –
i feel sorry for him
Doesn’t this bring new light to the recent South Burlington debate about the “Rebel” name?
Ostensibly a fight about tradition and taxes, the underlying motive for this “controversy” was a campaign to recruit neo Nazi’s, coordinated by a member of the Trump administration in D.C. (formerly a SoBu HS graduate). Unfortunately, they found a rich field to mine in Vermont and folded many white racists into their group. Vermont schools had better start doubling down on their anti-bullying teachings and world history classes on fascism, as well as acknowledgments and appreciation of the immigrants’ role in our country’s history, if they hope to stem this tide of intolerance and hate in our state.
Dear Citizen, Lose their job? I’d like to see Nazis run out of town by howling dogs and villagers with torches. Companies have mission statements. Companies hire people based upon their ability to carry out the company brand and mindset. Employees have to work alongside people who may be different from them- culturally, ethnically, etc. If I hired someone who turned out to be a white supremacist, they’d be given two weeks pay, and “Adios, Spawn of Hitler”. This guy thinks whites are discriminated against, that Jews lie, and he’s “not oppressing anyone”.
It’s morning in Vermont. Better wake up, folks. Like roaches, racists are everywhere.
Written I agree that Nazi’s are deplorable but people do have the right to speech and people also have the right to not listen to speech they don’t agree with. When people confront speech they disagree with, with violence or denying someone they disagree with opportunity is when we stop being a free nation. If an employee is spreading hateful speech at the work place they should be let go but what people think and do on their free time is up to them. The people that are outing people based on their beliefs are glorified bullies. Should the actions of a few extremists in any group discredit the entire organization. If that is true Black Lives Matter should be shut down after one of its supporters shot and killed 5 Dalles officers in cold blood. How about the participants on the left Saturday should they all be outed and lose their jobs too? Dealing with deferring opinions peacefully is the hardest part of being an American.
Citizen
I’m perfectly ok with all Nazis losing their livelihood, because Nazis aren’t actually people.
@citizen That man in Dallas was an outlier and extremist in terms of BLM. This guy is not an outlier or extremist of the white nationalist/supremacist movement — he is a normal, regular part of it. And that is horrifying.
While it’s satisfying that this guy lost his job because of his disgusting views, I do agree that firing someone for their views/outside activities may create a slippery slope.
Ninaw the article states that Mr.Roy did not take part in any violence he only used words. Let’s not allow ourselves to hold Mr.Roy accountable for the violent actions commuted by others. If I were to meet him face to face I would lay some harsh words on him for his beliefs but I would not use violence to get my point across. Once the violence line is crossed the aggressor atomaticly becomes the loser. The same standard must be used with all groups.
Hey @citizen, so you’re an outspoken proponent of free speech, are you? Did you support Colin Kaepernick’s right to take a knee during the national anthem? What about the millions of women who took to the streets–peacefully–to demonstrate against misogyny and for equal pay and representation at the Women’s March? What about the people who protested in the streets–peacefully–when Tamir Rice, a child, was shot dead in broad daylight by a police officer for playing with a toy gun? Or do you only respect the free speech of white supremacists and Nazis? If you prioritize protecting that over all of the other types of speech, I suggest you do some serious soul searching, and ask yourself why…
I will tell you unless Pizzeria Uno fires him I will never be a customer, anywhere at one of their places in the country for that matter. They have every right to fire his weak simple minded ignorant ass. This was more than free speech, this was violence and inciting it, big difference.
Wow reading the comments and seeing the amount of likes,I can see how many socialist there is in Vermont..You all claim to be so educated, well if you really are do you remember your history or did you all sleep through the class.. because Hitler was a socialist..a Nazi, Communism..and look who you keep reelecting a socialist ..SANDERS..he is a Communist he is!!!He thinks anyone who is rich should give their money to others, that’s what Hitler did..
As for saying that Ryan Roy “is profoundly uneducated
you can’t be even marginally educated and think this way
he is just another sad, loser white dude working (or not working now) in some dead-end low wage loser job”..so he’s a loser because he works at a pizza place.?.wow..
“I’m perfectly ok with all Nazis losing their livelihood, because Nazis aren’t actually people.”.. really?
You all claim to be good Vermonters..I don’t think so..you all probably ok with the tearing down of the Confederate statues, burning the Confederate flag, erasing the southern history..The Statues are part of American history. Do you know about Vermont History..do you know that there were Vermonters who went and fought along side of the Confederates?
I think he proved his character by attending the rally, and by the last paragraph of this article.
Quote from the last paragraph of article”At the end of the conversation, Roy asked me about my political views. Then, he asked me about my last name: Goldstein.
You are Jewish, right? Are you ethnically Jewish? he asked.
I asked him how that was relevant to our interaction.
It just means that Im concerned that youre going to lie about me, Roy said.
Why would you say I would lie about you? I asked him.
Because, he replied, that tends to be what your ethnic group does.
If he does not realize how offensive that is, then I really do pity him.
I cant even hate him, I feel pity for him for having to live with such a twisted morality.
For the record Mr. Ryan Roy, I am a Jewish American and I dont lie. Neither do millions of other Jewish people no matter where they live.
We sadly have to put up with people like you, but unless you are promoting violence, I will still support your right to free speech, no matter how offensive.
I acknowledge your right to exist and to speak your mind which is more than you seem to be willing to afford me and other Jewish people.
Do you even know what Nazism is ? It’s national socialism mixed up with cultural and racial chauvinism plus a dose of”Final Solution” for Gypsies, Slavics and Jews. This guy takes pride in his racial and cultural heritage, doesn’t advocate to the detriment of other groups and you all applaud his getting fired. You scare me more than him.
Continuering.. (as you are only limited to 300 words..) Just for the record, Confederate soldiers in the Civil War were made US Veterans by an act of Congress in 1957. U.S. Public Law 85-425 sec 410 approved 23 May 1958.. by taking down/removing any Confederate monument, headstone or statue you are in fact removing a U.S. Veterans monument, headstone statue. also under U.S. Public Law 810 approved by the 17th Congress on 26 February 1929, the war department was directed to erect headstones and recognize all Confederate grave sites as U.S. grave sites..just a little history for you..
Getting back to the subject Ryan Roy, I think the owner of the Pizza place was wrong with firing Mr Roy. he wasn’t wearing any clothing of the Pizza place.firing him because someone types Are you aware that you employed an actual nazi? what if someone says you employed an black, an Jew, an Jehovah Witness or what ever.. Firing him is a coward way…What is wrong with you people, how he looks is his business..to be honest think most of you in here are bashing him because he said Hes also a supporter of President Donald Trump..I may not agree with some of Ryan Roy views but I will fight for his right of freedom of speech and his right of how he thinks.. The left media has tore this Charlottesville, Va. in one direction..they did not blame the BLM, the alt- left,who started the violence ,matter of fact they are blaming Pres Trump for what happen there.. yeah Trump is our President.. Mr Roy did not join in the violence.
So go to your library and get some history books and read.. never mind looking it up on Google they only print what the left wants you to find.. .
Stephen Hutchins, Nazism is buying in to theories of racial hierarchy, which is a lie and racial chauvinism has no place in civilized, intelligent society. It makes sense to say, “I only like white t-shirts” but it’s stupid to say, “I only like white people”.
If people like ME scare you more than this dude does, you need a to find Mr. Peabody and Sherman and get yourself a WABAC machine.
Donna Boutin. Sure. Nazis are people. They’re just not nice people. And, tearing down monuments of racists and slave owners isn’t erasing Southern history. There’s LOTS of Southern history that has nothing to do with people who thought of blacks as inferior to white folks.
As far as the monuments go, they belong in museums, not on public squares and thoroughfares.
The First Amendment states that the federal government cannot abridge your right to the exercise of free speech, and the Fourteenth Amendment applies that to the state governments. No one has a constitutional right to free speech with regard to their employer, though in some states there are statutes of varying content that offer some limited protections (Vermont is not one of them). Anyone who expresses extreme views, especially hateful views directed at minority groups, and who works in a business serving the public will, of necessity, be fired. Even in states with some protections the employer will find some other way. It’s just that simple. Making into something bigger is meaningless sophistry. This young man is the embodiment of ignorance and foolishness, if for no other reason (and there are actually many other reasons, as his own words attest) than that he does not understand this simple fact.
Written no one should have to pay to have the opportunity to study history so unless the Smithsonian is going to put all these monument into it so it will be free of charge a public space such as a park are the only spots for them. When you and your friends are done with the confederate monuments what will you take down next the Washington Monument should we also blow Washington’s face off MT Rushmore. After all he was a southern slave owner. When do we as a people put history behind us learn from its successes and it’s mistakes and move forward towards a positive future. Im sure running people out of their jobs because you dont agree with them is not the way to that future.
What a wide array of views and opinions but to criticize someone for the shape of his ears or saying he needs cosmetic surgery simply because you do not like his beliefs, ironically, shows one’s own biases. I believe education and early intervention are the keys to fight against any discrimination as we are not born hating one another, but are taught it. Do I agree with Mr. Roy’s actions and comments? No, but our Amendments do call for free speech. It’s when this freedom is abused and turns into violence and murder, that it turns into something ugly and fearful and does not belong in any society…
@written..So all statues in Vermont should be taken down too,,????
Ethan Allen
Seth Warner
Gen John Stark
Molly Stark
St.Anne
The Whispering Statue
Civil War Statue
just to name a few and there’s lot’s of them, statues, monuments and markers in Vermont. Should these be put in museums, because they may “offend” someone or remind them there was a war? I for one like being able to stop and see these monuments/statues/markers. in our country..In Rapid City in South Dakota there is a statue of every President up to George W Bush..should these be taken down too??? Statues and Monuments are a way to preserve our Country’s History.it‘s a way for each state to honor these people..They are not to be erase..You people need to wake the he** up..North, South East and West all have a history..We have no right to try to hide/erase this history just because fools are offended..you don’t like it, then tough!!!!
Dear Citizen: There’s a place you can go to study history that doesn’t cost a dime. It’s the library.
Here’s the thing about Freedom of Speech, Citizen. It gives you the right to say whatever you want without fear of persecution from the government. It does not give you the ability to say whatever you want without fear of being shunned by the rest of society, or fired by your private sector employer. Employment and acceptance by the rest of society are not fundamental rights, being a giant bag of feces is a good way to assure that society rightfully rejects you even if the government allows you to be a giant bag of feces.
The government gives this anus the right to express himself in whatever way he chooses. As a society, we have an obligation to reject this sort of behavior.
The enduring question should not be the dilemma of how to maintain the properly American social tolerance for blithely racist, fascist hate-mongering. They have plenty of room for their gut-churning poison (too much looks like).
The big-scope, enduring question we need to address is our crisis of vision. How, in a nation overwhelmed by surging fascism and intolerance, can we compel a large enough portion of these unseemly individuals to renounce their hatred once and for all… before the monster consumes this beautiful land we love?
In times like this, I am inspired by a woman who, at a 1996 KKK rally in Michigan, protected a fallen white nationalist despite his clear opposition to her views.
She recognized one truth that binds us all: That we are all human beings and need to be seen that way.
Google “Keshia Thomas”. The photo is etched into my memory for a lifetime.
Steveo your world view points are offensive to me I’ll be sure to find out where you work and be sure to let your employer know so you can be suspended soon. If you are a boss or management I’ll be sure to start a boycott of the company. See the slippery slope your thought process has created. Thanks for doing your part in destroying the economy and forcing another family into the welfare system. Now that the Democrat way.
Complain away, Citizen. Odds are that your complaint would fall on deaf ears, as disliking Nazis is generally considered to be a good thing on this planet. If, however, my employer was to decide to fire me for that view, it probably wouldn’t be all that hard to find a better employer, as next to nobody is going to hold being a decent human being against me.
Our Nazi, on the other hand, is unlikely to find work anywhere in this area, due to his own actions. People don’t like Nazis. People don’t trust Nazis. People don’t want to be around Nazis, and because of that, very few people are going to hire Nazis. If Mr. Roy wanted to remain employable, he probably ought to have considered the consequences of making it known that he is a Nazi. Once he’s a well-know pariah, he’s actively hurting his employer by remaining employed there, and leaves them little choice but to fire him.
People need to remember that having Freedom of Speech doesn’t make them immune to consequences. It only protects you from the government, not from the rest of society. If you tell the world you’re a Nazi, most of it will hate you and legally shun you for it.
Steveo your are aware that there is a difference between Naziism and white nationals and there is even a difference between white nationalism and conservatives like myself. You sound like you are a member of the hitious group known as the anti-far. I’m sure no one wants those people either. So good luck getting a job unless your employer wants to be associated with a group like that. There’s not much difference between the Nazi’s and the anti-far both groups are always trying to suppress the freedoms of others. You are just as appuling as Mr. Roy.
Citizen,
The employer has rights as well, and if a vocal Nazi/Antifa/Rastafarian on staff hurts business he shouldn’t be compelled to keep him. He has responsibilities that extend outside one problem employee.
However, I do wonder how the commentators calling for this guy’s job would feel if someone was fired for espousing a less controversial ideology. Moral outrage tends to ebb and flow, and hit targets you wouldn’t necessarily expect. It was the commies who were blacklisted, now it’s the Nazis, who’s the next deserving group?
We should keep at the forefront of our minds that the people we disagree with, no matter how vile we think they are, are human as well. I know that’ll probably strike most people as preachy, but we’re seeing people get seriously hurt and killed because we’ve exchanged empathy for blind hate.
I have known Ryan Roy for many years and used to order food from him and chat when he worked at the Kountry Kart Deli on Main Street. He was probably the most polite, friendly and service oriented employee there. I would have not attended nor marched in Charlottesville, but it is difficult to see him as hateful.
I do see evidence of anti-white hate coming out of the current political climate (and have seen it at BLM rallies in New York firsthand) and I don’t like one bit more than hatred of any other group historically. The more intense this becomes, the more sides will line up, and I fear where this is going.
I don’t believe there’s a movement to erase history and take down all the statues! The monuments of the civil war were often placed in public spaces during 1920s Jim Crow states where there was to be a reminder to all free black and that it was a certain group of people still in charge. This isn’t erasing history this is making history, reflecting a new sentiment in our nation and movingly towards healing. We’ll never erase history or old blood stains. And as for free speech, that was a design to keep the public and press from the gallows and prevent tyranny. Our president has advocated jailing the press. Say what they will, even lie, but the press seems to get less defense as free speech than a bunch of people who want to associate themselves with gas chambers, mass graves, and human ashes created in an effort to exterminate a people from the face of the planet.
Once again, Seven Days cuts straight to the Left Wing party line! Not knowing the difference between White Nationalism (read: the Alt-Right) and White Supremacy (a throwback term for the exceptionally unrelated “KKK” and perhaps the Nazi LARPers you saw in the video — do you REALLY believe the Klan is even a thing in the 21st century? Really?). Right away, it’s clear you need to actually research what you’re writing about and not just regurgitate leftie propaganda. You’re not a journalist, you’re part of the echo chamber. Your use of quotation marks to set off things so you can add a snide tone to those offset phrases is equally transparent. In your insulated bubble, the Narrative is more important than the facts. Or, as the kids say, “feels before reals.”
It’s all ad hominem attacks and hyperbole to shut down the conversation for you folks, isn’t it? What about an honest discussion about race, even if it hurts feelings? How about dropping the infantile (and obsessive) use of words like “hate” or “Nazis” or “fascists” (so predictable, as if you all learned it from a single source) and actually discuss the merits (or lack thereof) of what people like Richard Spencer, Jared Taylor, Greg Johnson, or Henrik Palmgren are saying? Why won’t you? Because many of the ideas of the Alt-Right cut to the core of the matter and that scares many of you who choose white guilt and running from the truth as desperate options. You stay scared. Not us.