Update, August 16, 2017: Uno Pizzeria & Grill has confirmed it fired Ryan Roy.
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.”
Does he feel out of step in left-leaning Burlington?
“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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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.
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.. .
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.
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.
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 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.
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…
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.
@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.
Citizen
I’m perfectly ok with all Nazis losing their livelihood, because Nazis aren’t actually people.