The Unfolding Events: The Night 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 Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as especially servile. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded with precision.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … Now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, on top of a garbage can outside.
International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock goes through the officers around me, and they raced into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the resort where the then-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 group's creators weren't especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that they didn’t know which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to address a really concerning 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 says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after boarded a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Later that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, this time for causing a 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 that was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to all queries with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
A little more than one month later, all charges was dismissed.