The Unfolding Events: The Night The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded with precision.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a short documentary exploring 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 long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.
International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something really serious to examine here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the officers around me, and the police raced into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
The Arrests
But, the activists weren't especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”
Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that they were unsure which law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “one officer began reciting 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 subsequently detained for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time 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. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you remove 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 anticipated the next move: a picture of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Outcome
A little more than a month later, every charge were dropped.
