The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded like clockwork.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a nine-minute film exploring the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in documents related to the criminal probe into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.

International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction globally. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something really serious to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”

The Reveal

The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the officers nearby, and the police raced into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

This was not their inaugural action; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider over the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, police visited him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

The Arrests

However, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy goes into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission 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 a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that they were unsure which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered 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 team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a stalking law. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

An Ironic Interrogation

Later that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, now for causing a public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”

The Outcome

Just over one month later, every charge was dismissed.