The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in documents related to the investigation into that individual … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “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. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘This is something really serious to examine here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Reveal
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and they raced into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort against Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the resort where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
However, the activists weren't overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers didn’t know under what law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, then soon after boarded a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time in the middle of the 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 more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection squad – a twist which was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you remove 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 the next move: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
Just over a month later, every charge was dismissed.
