St. Petersburg – TORCH NETWORK

This article was originally published at cvantifa.noblogs.org

Ryan Saxer is a neo-Nazi from St. Petersburg, Florida who operates under the name “Sean Battle”. He is a member of several fascist organizations. Before we discuss Ryan’s neo-Nazi organizing and affiliations, let’s detail how we found him.

Ryan has lots of different social media accounts. Some are for his public persona, Sean Battle, where he censors his face and tattoos, and one for his close friends where he posts pictures of his face. Sadly for Ryan, some of those close friends aren’t too happy with him going behind their backs, and decided to send those photos our way. We were able to verify that these photos were of the same individual by comparing them to posts on his Sean Battle account.

Same outfit:

Ryan Saxon takes a selfie outdoors, wearing a black baseball cap worn backward, a black cloth face mask covering his nose and mouth, and a black t-shirt printed "One" in white script above "AGAINST" in large white block letters, with additional text partially visible below. Tattoos show on both arms, including a star design on his right forearm and a rose on his left. A bright green painted door or wall fills the right side of the frame, with window blinds visible on the left.

Instagram post by "dawnofsean2" showing a person standing on a beach at night with their face digitally blurred. The subject wears a black baseball cap worn backward, a black t-shirt printed "One AGAINST ALL" in white text, dark pants, and sneakers, with one foot resting on a metal railing. Distant city lights reflect across the water behind them on sandy ground.

Same outfit:

Ryan Saxon, a man with red hair, wears gray boxing gloves and a maroon graphic t-shirt while in a fighting stance during outdoor sparring practice on a concrete driveway. His opponent, seen from behind in a turquoise t-shirt and gray shorts with black hand wraps, throws a punch toward him. Large trees with spreading branches and wooden fencing form the background under daylight conditions.

Instagram post by "dawnofsean2" showing a person standing outdoors against a concrete block wall with their face obscured by a black oval overlay featuring a white stylized pine tree with lightning bolt design. The person wears a red t-shirt with partially visible text graphics including "THUNDER" and black athletic shorts, arms crossed across chest. To their left, a green flag or banner displaying the identical white tree-and-lightning-bolt symbol hangs on the wall. Green foliage visible above the wall, and gravel covers the ground in the foreground.

Same hoodie:

Ryan Saxon stands center frame at night wearing a gray-and-green raglan hoodie with the hood down, featuring a green graphic print of cyclists passing pine trees with text reading "BE ACTIVE FRONT" and smaller text below. He has short reddish-blonde hair and stands between two other men, one of whom has his arm around Saxon's shoulder. An illuminated orange-red sign reading "RIVERA'S" is visible in the background, along with a storefront facade and dim street lighting.

Instagram post by "dawnofsean2" showing a person standing outdoors in front of a cascading waterfall with their face digitally obscured. The subject wears a gray-and-dark-green raglan hoodie featuring a green graphic print of cyclists riding past pine trees, with text reading "BE ACTIVE FRONT" and "LOVE NATURE HATE NATURE" beneath. Turbulent water flows over rocky ledges behind them, with dense green trees and foliage framing the scene under a partly cloudy sky.

We were able to verify that the man pictured on the right is Ryan Saxer from this old Facebook profile that bears his name.

RTT & RAM :

Ryan is the leader of the Florida chapter of Revolt Through Tradition(RTT). RTT is a white nationalist organization started by Michael Moura after the dissolution of Boston Free Speech. RTT’s organizing is centralized on the east coast, but there have been a notable instances of their propaganda popping up further west. Presently, their activity revolves around putting up stickers and physical training.

Four people stand outdoors in front of trees and recreational vehicles, holding a dark green banner. Their faces are digitally blurred for anonymity. From left to right: one person wears a maroon shirt with "ROSE" partially visible, another wears an olive green shirt, a third wears a black shirt with "Proud Boys" text visible on the sleeve, and the fourth wears a red shirt. The banner displays a white graphic combining a pine tree shape with an integrated lightning bolt running vertically through its center. — The Florida RTT chapter

Revolt Through Tradition is modeled after, and is closely associated with, the Rise Above Movement (RAM). RAM is an extremely violent organization, whose members have committed numerous assaults. They were a major part of the Unite The Right protest in Charlottesville in 2017, and have been lionized in fascist circles. Ryan is also a member of RAM. He authored a communique for the group in January, and posts pictures of himself wearing their shirts.

Image 1: Four people stand outdoors in front of trees and recreational vehicles, holding a dark green banner. Their faces are digitally blurred for anonymity. From left to right: one person wears a maroon shirt with "ROSE" partially visible, another wears an olive green shirt, a third wears a black shirt with "Proud Boys" text visible on the sleeve, and the fourth wears a red shirt. The banner displays a white graphic combining a pine tree shape with an integrated lightning bolt running vertically through its center.

Image 2: Blog post listing entry dated January 28, 2020, with a thumbnail image and headline "A Future To Believe In." Thumbnail shows large block letters spelling "RISE" in a metallic gold gradient against a black background, with a white pine tree and lightning bolt emblem replacing the letter "I," and the phrase "A FUTURE TO BELIEVE IN" repeated along the bottom edge. Byline reads "By Sean Battle and Rise Above Movement," followed by a "Continue Reading" link. — A Rise Above Movement communique authored by Ryan

Ryan wearing a RAM shirt and posing with his Nazi friends (more coming soon…)

International Conservative Community:

RAM and RTT are both closely associated with the new group, International Conservative Community (ICC). ICC is a massive coalition of fascist and far-right groups across the world that was started by RAM’s founder, Robert Rundo. RAM and RTT’s logos both appear on this wheatpaste orchestrated by ICC.

Sticker or poster with bold text "FREE R.A.M" at top in white block letters against a black background. Below, three men's faces appear in silhouette with American flag stripes behind them. White arrow symbols with pine tree motifs are arranged along both sides; two symbols on the left are circled in yellow. A smaller sticker is partially visible in the upper left corner. Text at the bottom reads "INDIANA, USA" in white capital letters on a dark bar. — Screenshot from an ICC propaganda video

Groups that have participated in ICC demos include: RAM, RTT, Pro Patria, RME Crew, Tradition and Order, Action Zealandia, De Fria Sverige and more. So far, the organization’s activities have been limited to doing international solidarity campaigns with arrested RAM members and fascist murderer Kyle Rittenhouse. ICC demonstrations have been documented in 7 US states and 12 countries. Ryan and the Florida RTT chapter posed with a RAM solidarity banner, and Ryan has advertised the group on his Sean Battle Instagram account.

Screenshot of an Instagram caption by user "dawnofsean2" quoting text attributed to @i.conservative.community. The quoted passage describes the International Conservative Community as bringing together likeminded people across countries and continents, referring to the modern world as "one big aggressive environment — street violence, police brutality, lies and propaganda," and listing "Solidarity. Strength. Fortitude. Camaraderie." Below the quote, additional text calls it "the next big thing for nationalism," urging readers to follow the page and stating "our shared struggle unites us." — A post written by Ryan about ICC

Currently, ICC’s activity is ostensibly benign. However, the formalization of white nationalist alliances across continents is incredibly concerning. We will continue to do work to document ICC in the future. We urge other antifascists investigating ICC to reach out to us with questions and information.

Patriot Front:

Ryan appears to be a member of the neo-Nazi group Patriot Front. Patriot Front is a rebrand of Vanguard America, the group responsible for the murder of Heather Heyer at the 2017 Unite the Right rally. Ryan can be seen sparring in propaganda posted by the organization this May. An uncensored photo from the same sparring session was sent to us by one of his former fiends.

Two men spar with boxing gloves on a grassy park lawn under bright daylight with shade trees casting shadows. The man facing the camera wears a maroon t-shirt with white lettering "SE" visible, black shorts, red sneakers, and white hand wraps under gray boxing gloves; he stands in a defensive stance with his guard up. The second man, viewed from behind with long dark hair tied back, wears a black t-shirt and dark shorts, throwing a punch toward his opponent. Houses and a street with cars are visible in the background beyond the park.

Our Fight / Will2Rise:

Through his pseudonym Sean Battle, Ryan authored several posts on a blog belonging to the white-nationalist clothing company Our Fight. Our Fight sold merchandise for numerous fascist groups and bands from the US and Europe. The organization grew out of The Right Brand, RAM’s official clothing line. As of 9/26/2020, the company rebranded to Will2Rise (cringe tbh). They are no longer selling merch for other groups, and seem to primarily be focusing on RAM branded shirts and outerwear. Ryan has dutifully served as a model for both Will2Rise and Our Fight.

Online shop product listing for a "Be Active Front – Love Nature Hoodie" priced at $34.99. Product photo shows a person wearing a gray-and-dark-green raglan hoodie with the hood up, dark sunglasses, and a black-and-white skull-patterned face covering, standing against a textured beige stucco wall with a black strap across the chest. The hoodie's front graphic depicts cyclists riding past pine trees with text reading "BE ACTIVE FRO" and "LOVE NATURE SAVE NATURE." Page elements include a "SIZE" dropdown set to "-- Select --" and a "QUANTITY" field showing 1. — Ryan modeling a hoodie sold on Our Fight.

Screenshot of an Instagram post by user "will_2_rise" depicting two men standing in a parking lot with their backs to the camera. The man on the left wears a maroon hoodie with white text reading "I speak ONLY THE TRUTH 313" and camouflage shorts, revealing tattoos on his calves. The man on the right wears a black t-shirt with a large winged graphic and text on the back, blue jeans, and a tattoo on his left arm. Trees and commercial buildings are visible in the background under bright sunlight. — Ryan(left) modeling for Will2Rise.

The articles Ryan wrote are generally bland and boring. They aren’t very creative, and are often filled with multiple long-winded quotes from Julius Evola and/or Oswald Mosley. We have come to the conclusion that, despite the image he likes to present, Ryan has never read political theory not written by these two men. One particularly interesting piece had him interviewing Joshua Williamson, one of the subjects of our #PanzerDox series.

Boneheads:

Ryan is a probate the Vinlanders Social Club, a violent bonehead(neo-Nazi skinhead) gang responsible for several murders. Here, he can be seen wearing his probate shirt and posing with Vinlanders members including FL leader Donald Hansard. Don has a particularly violent history, and once went to jail for attacking a Cuban man and his child.

Sean wearing his VSC probate shirt

Night photo of six people standing outdoors in a parking lot holding a black flag with a white circular Celtic cross symbol. From left to right: Victoria Jara, a woman with dark hair in a black jacket with patches including "1488" visible, makes a peace sign with her right hand. Ryan Saxer, with his face digitally blurred, wears a gray-and-green raglan hoodie with a cyclist and tree graphic, making a gesture with his right hand. Don Hansard, an older man with short hair, gestures with both hands in front of his chest. Rich Daignault, wearing a dark tank top, raises both hands in a gesture near his head. Two additional people with digitally blurred faces stand on the right, one in a dark jacket and another in a dark shirt with text visible. Parked vehicles, streetlights, and trees appear in the background under nighttime lighting. Yellow label boxes identify four individuals by name above or below them.

Ryan Saxer is also real good buddies with Ryan Ramsey, the region 4 representative of the Florida Libertarian party. Ramsey is a former member of neo-Nazi bonehead gang The Hated, and is a co-founder of American Guard, an incredibly violent fascist organization.

Five people sit around an outdoor dining table featuring a built-in fire pit with stacked logs in the center. From left: a man in a dark suit jacket and white shirt holding a beer glass; a man in a black t-shirt with visible arm tattoos sitting next to a woman with long blonde hair wearing a black top and jeans; a man in a black t-shirt with extensive arm tattoos resting his chin on his hand; and a man in a blue patterned short-sleeve shirt and baseball cap. Plates of food including burgers and salads, various beverages, napkins, and cutlery are spread across the table. A black metal fence with lush green foliage and trees form the background, with hints of buildings and street lights visible beyond.

Freemasons:

For some fucking reason, in addition to all of the above, Ryan is a member of the goddamn Freemasons. He is a part of St. Petersburg’s lodge #139, and their website lists him as a “Senior Deacon”.

Document page titled "Lodge Address" displaying organizational contact information. Top section lists: Lodge Number 139, District Number 18, Zone 4, Lodge Country Pyretos, Charter Date 01/12/1984, Street Address 114-A NE 6th St Saint Petersburg FL 33701, Mailing Address PO Box 3356 Saint Petersburg FL 33716-3357, and phone numbers. Meeting schedule noted: 3rd Tuesday and 1st and 3rd Tuesday in December at 7:30 PM. Below, "Lodge Officers" table contains columns for Title, First Name, Last Name, Phone, and Email. Visible entries include Worshipful Master Valentino Pinto, Senior Warden Randy Evans, Junior Warden Mark Greenaway, Treasurer Michael Rosenthal, Secretary John Pitt, Chaplain Don Hansard, Senior Deacon Ryan Saxer, Junior Deacon John Dorn, Senior Steward Anthony Pitt, Junior Steward Kevin Hansen, Organist Don Hill, and Sword Bearer James Jr Hudson. Some fields show partial text while others appear blank.

Group photo of eight men standing indoors in front of blue curtains, dressed in formal attire with Masonic regalia including decorative aprons and collars with symbolic emblems. A yellow arrow points to a man in the front row wearing a gray suit jacket and red bow tie. Center figure wears a black top hat and dark suit. Other members wear suits, turtlenecks, and various decorated aprons featuring geometric patterns and symbols. Framed pictures hang on the wall behind them. The men stand in two rows, with some in the back row partially obscured. — Ryan posing in his ceremonial mason outfit

Ryan’s masonic affiliations come as something as a surprise to us, since most Nazis seem to believe the Masons to be an international Jewish conspiracy or whatever. Interestingly enough, Ryan’s occult beliefs don’t stop there. He also reps Ordo Templi Orientus, an esoteric order dating back to the 1890’s. Here, he can be seen wearing the order’s symbol on a necklace.

Portrait of Ryan Saxon, a young man with short reddish-blonde hair and light stubble, looking directly at the camera with a slight smile. He wears a black t-shirt with partially visible text graphics and a silver chain necklace with an oval pendant. Background shows indoor shelving with various bottles and objects, illuminated by purple and pink neon lighting creating colorful ambient glow.

Black-and-white line drawing of a symbolic emblem enclosed in an almond-shaped (vesica piscis) border. At the top, an eye within a triangle surrounded by radiating sunburst rays. Below it, a white dove with outstretched wings facing downward. At the base, a chalice containing a cross, encircled by a laurel wreath or leafy garland. All elements are rendered in clean outline style with no shading or color.

The Order’s most notable member is famed occultist Alister Crowley, the founder of the religion Thelema. Thelema and and Odro Templi Orientus are still closely related, which may explain why Ryan has a tattoo of the unicursal hexagram, one of the primary symbols used by Thelema.

Ryan Saxon stands outdoors on a paved driveway or street with arms crossed. He wears a light gray t-shirt printed "Brooklynhood" with a red cross emblem, mustard-brown pants, black-and-white high-top sneakers, and a black baseball cap worn backward. Tattoos are visible on both forearms. A yellow circle highlights a geometric star or compass-like tattoo on his left upper arm. Background includes green trees, a wooden fence, and residential buildings under daylight.

Black geometric emblem consisting of two overlapping elongated triangles forming a stretched six-pointed star, drawn in thick solid lines. At the center, where the shapes intersect, sits a small four-lobed clover or flower motif in solid black. Plain white background, no text or shading.

More details about Ryan can be found HERE.

If you have any more information about Ryan Saxer or his Nazi associates, please email us at [email protected].

Thank you to Atlanta Antifascists for their help with this article!

Tag: St. Petersburg

Ryan Saxer is Sean Battle: Florida’s Fascist Freemason