The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision.

A Deliberate Message

The group produced a nine-minute film exploring the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt passed through the officers around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

This was not their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

The Arrests

However, the activists were not especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the die is cast.” Officers was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Stalling a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that officers were unsure under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Later that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection unit – an irony which was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a large projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Outcome

A little more than a month later, every charge were dropped.