What Happened Next: The Evening The Activist Group Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The act of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files related to the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations concerning Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The group had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. The film we made gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘This is something really serious to examine here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 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 states. “So there’s this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first effort against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the resort where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
However, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy goes into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and 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 very adrenalised upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that they were unsure which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman 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 activists were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after boarded a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – an irony which was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. 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 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 the next move: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
Just over one month later, all charges was dismissed.
