The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s second state visit, including a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go unprotested. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded like clockwork.
A Deliberate Message
The group produced a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents related to the criminal probe into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The group had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
International press was assembled, staring at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police raced into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider over the resort where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
The Arrests
However, the group's creators were not overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “one officer started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to address a serious offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: a picture of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Outcome
Just over one month later, all charges was dismissed.
