The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Projected 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 not to let it pass unprotested. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a short documentary detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure 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 sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents from the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”
The Reveal
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock 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; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
However, the activists weren't especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional activists were then arrested for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to 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, then soon after was on a train leaving 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 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 – a twist that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: a picture of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Outcome
Just over one month later, every charge was dismissed.
