What Happened Next: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their next creative protest unfolded with precision.
A Provocative Film
The group produced a short documentary exploring the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside.
International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “Although 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 uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt goes through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they raced into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the resort 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 were not especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”
Stalling a large number of police officers is a long time. The fact that officers didn’t know under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter boarded a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Later in the middle of the night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – an irony that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. Then, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
A little more than one month later, all charges was dismissed.