The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for the former president'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 unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
The group produced a short documentary detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure 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 sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in the files from the investigation into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.
International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, spread rapidly globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock goes through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider over the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
But, the activists weren't especially worried about arrest. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “one officer started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Later that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection unit – a twist which was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘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 large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
A little more than one month later, every charge was dismissed.
