Syril represents the run-of-the-mill fascist. He’s a white collar guy who likes things the way they are and has very basic ideas about justice. As long as he is comfortably seated at his desk or in his living room, he doesn’t see the horrible reality of fascism. It’s all an abstraction to him, and it’s natural to accept the party line that They are criminals and They sow chaos and They deserve justice.
That changes when he comes to know Them. For the first time, he sees the victims of fascism as human. He cares about them. He understands their perspective. He sees how tyranny impacts them, and he sees that it is unfair and built on lies. And it wakes him the fuck up, if too late.
Syril is not fundamentally a bad person. He’s just comfortable in his own life, has an overly simplistic moral code, and requires a personal connection to feel empathy. And unfortunately, he’s the kind of person whose support every fascist rise to power is built upon.