The Unfolding Events: The Night The Activist Group Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a short documentary detailing the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations 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, superior castle views, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, 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, spread rapidly globally. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes 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; nor was it their first action against Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
However, the activists were not especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the die is cast.” Officers was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were then arrested for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a really concerning offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, 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, officers came in and arrested them again, now for public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection squad – an irony which was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered every question with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “They asked, did you take 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 anticipated the next move: a picture of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
Just over one month later, all charges were dropped.
