The Unfolding Events: The Evening The Activist Group Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision.

A Provocative Film

Activists created a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, on top of a garbage can outside.

International press had gathered, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, 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. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”

The Reveal

The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt passed through the officers around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

This was not the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first effort against Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider over the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. A year later, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

The Arrests

However, the activists were not overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”

Delaying a large number of police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers were unsure under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

An Ironic Interrogation

Some time in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered 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 – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photograph: “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 the next move: an image of a large projector, secured to several drawers. Then, the detectives struggled to keep a straight face.”

The Outcome

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