The Unfolding Events: The Night The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s second state visit, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as especially servile. Their next creative protest proceeded like clockwork.

A Deliberate Message

Activists created a short documentary detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle 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 placed a wireless speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, atop a garbage can outside.

The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something really serious 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 the castle's round tower requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the officers around me, and they all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action against Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.

Confrontation with Police

However, the activists weren't especially worried about arrest. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, reaching the hotel within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that officers were unsure which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, displayed on 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 slipped away, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.

An Ironic Interrogation

Later in the middle of the night, as the detainees 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. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection squad – an irony which was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists responded to every question with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photograph: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. Then, the detectives struggled to keep a straight face.”

The Final Result

A little more than one month later, every charge was dismissed.