The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, including a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as especially servile. Their next art-activist event unfolded with precision.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a nine-minute film detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in documents related to the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a garbage can outside.
International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. The film, however, spread rapidly globally. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Reveal
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock goes through the officers around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. 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 if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
However, the group's creators were not especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in tactical gear and baseball caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”
Stalling a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that officers were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a clause 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 subsequently detained for malicious communication, 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, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection squad – an irony which was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting 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 anticipated what was coming: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. Then, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
Just over one month later, every charge were dropped.
