“Language of violence” in address to anti-immigration rally pushes science academy to reassess billionaire’s fellowship

The Royal Society is reconsidering whether to revoke Elon Musk’s fellowship after the billionaire made an inflammatory speech at an anti-immigration rally in London.

On 14 September, Musk spoke at the rally organised by far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson, dialling in on video to tell thousands of attendees that “violence is coming to you” and “you either fight back or you die”.

Having previously resisted calls to kick Musk out of the Royal Society, its president Adrian Smith has now written to fellows to say its governing council will discuss the matter at a meeting on 1 October.

In the letter, seen by Research Professional News, Smith says he was sure many fellows “will share my concern at the events of the last week and the growing tendency to resort to the language of violence in pursuit of political programmes that are founded upon narratives of division and simplistic stereotypes of political opponents—including, unfortunately, an address to the recent London rally from a fellow of the Royal Society”.

Smith adds that, in his lifetime, core values of “tolerance, courtesy, respect for others, and freedom of speech” have been taken for granted. “It is no accident that human understanding and science have also flourished to an extraordinary extent in this period. Threats to these values are now real.”

Mounting pressure

In March, 150 fellows of the Royal Society met to discuss Musk’s fellowship following mounting pressure on the organisation to act, driven by the resignation of two fellows—Dorothy Bishop and Andrew Millar.

Thousands in the wider scientific community expressed dismay over Musk’s membership by signing an open letter to the Royal Society. But Smith said at the time that the Royal Society’s governing council had decided not to take action because of concerns about wading into politics.

Last week, appearing before the House of Lords Science and Technology committee, Smith appeared to double down on this position, saying “the political decision of this president is to not be political”.

“The quickest way for the Royal Society to lose its reputation and coherence will be to get into that space,” he said, when asked if the academy would become more political.

But events since then appear to have forced the hand of Smith, who is due to end his tenure as president on 30 November.

The Royal Society said it had nothing more to add to Smith’s letter.