The Unfolding Events: The Evening The Activist Group Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, including a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a short documentary detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files from the investigation into Epstein … 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 initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The group had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.
International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Reveal
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the officers nearby, and they all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first action against Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the resort where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.
The Arrests
However, the group's creators weren't especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. The fact that officers didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.