What does accepting to be a speaker &quot;under protest&quot; accomplish? Clearly he would be told he is not allowed to make this protest public while speaking. If he cannot make his point public during the conference, then there is no noticeable impact from the so-called &quot;protest&quot;.<p>The conference organizers want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to get all the speakers (and have them not make any waves), while also bowing to the almighty dollar from any sponsor willing to open their bank account.<p>The only ways to protest are to a) get the sponsor kicked, or b) refuse to attend. As he has been turned down regarding the first option, the only way for him to maintain his integrity is to not attend. Good for him for sticking to his principles and not caving in to the pressure to be an ass kisser.