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In memory of Chip Berlet (1949—2026), lifelong anti-fascist fighter

By Editor-in-Chief on March 1, 2026

Camilo Lazo | National Chair of the American Party of Labor—

Chip Berlet was my friend. Chip Berlet was a good man, a kind and gentle man. He was a man with a deep love of people, of music – especially that of The Roches, of nature, of food and drink, and of life itself. He was, in many ways, one of the most authentic and genuine people I have ever known. But Chip was also a fighting man, a man whose blood boiled in quiet rage at fascists, racists, and all oppressors. Chip Berlet was a warrior whose sword was his pen, and whose shield was his penetrating mind and profound learning.

One could list the impressive credits on his resume: Vice President of the National Lawyers Guild; advisor to the Center for Millennial Studies at Boston University, and Defending Dissent Foundation; senior analyst at the Political Research Associates; but these would be just an outline, not the man himself. For that, one needs to read his writings. Writings which struck at the heart of fascism and repression.

Starting as student activist in the 1960s, Chip became a passionate journalist and researcher. He worked alongside groups such as the American Indian Movement, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Spanish Action Committee of Chicago, and the National Student Association. Chip fought against police violence and repression in Chicago, exposing the continued existence of the Chicago Police’s “Red Squad.” Chip helped organize some of the first people’s hearings on the FBI’s COINTELPRO program. But it was when he fixed his sharp gaze on fascist Lyndon LaRouche’s National Caucus of Labor Committees, that Chip came to national prominence.

Chip produced a series of books and articles, including Eyes Right! Challenging the Right Wing Backlash; Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort; “‘Trumping’ Democracy: Right-Wing Populism, Fascism, and the Case for Action;” “Turning the Tables on Lyndon LaRouche;” “The Hunt for Red Menace: How Government Intelligence Agencies & Private Right-Wing Groups Target Dissidents & Leftists as Subversive Terrorists & Outlaws;” and many, many more that laid bare right-wing organizations and their actions. Chip also created the Public Eye BBS, the first online platform for tracking fascist, Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist groups, worked as a photojournalist documenting Klan and Nazi rallies and public appearances, and he was also a founding member of the Chicago Area Friends of Albania.

Chip Berlet was the most knowledgeable, erudite, and committed anti-fascist that I have ever known.

January 30, 2026, Chip died of leukemia. He passed at his home surrounded by family and loved ones.

Good-bye old friend. We promise to honor your life and legacy by struggling against fascism and reaction with every sinew of strength. And when the last fascist is gone and last reactionary is laid low, we’ll toast your memory and say…

CHIP BERLET – PRESENTE!