The Unfolding Events: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded like clockwork.

A Provocative Film

Activists created a short documentary exploring the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “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 positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside.

International press had gathered, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”

The Reveal

It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock goes through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

This was not their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider over the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.

The Arrests

However, the activists weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the die is cast.” The police response was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”

Stalling 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 started reading 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 stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is 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, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

An Ironic Interrogation

Later in the middle of the night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – a twist that was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photograph: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.