The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Projected 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 not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded like clockwork.
A Deliberate Message
The group produced a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Reveal
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
This was not their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
But, the activists were not overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the die is cast.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers didn’t know under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a really concerning offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed 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 leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, now for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection unit – an irony which was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.”
The Outcome
Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.