What Happened Next: The Evening The Activist Group Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The act of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their next creative protest unfolded like clockwork.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in documents from the investigation into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower requires some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and they all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

This was not the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

The Arrests

But, the activists weren't overly concerned about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel within three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Delaying a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman 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 team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to address 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 remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Later that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, now for causing a public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection unit – an irony which was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “I have 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 anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

A little more than one month later, every charge was dismissed.