What Happened Next: The Night The Activist Group Beamed 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 known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a nine-minute film exploring the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in the files from the investigation into that individual … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The group had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Reveal
The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. The police are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock goes through the officers nearby, and they all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the resort where the president was staying in Scotland. A year later, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
But, the group's creators weren't especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, reaching the hotel within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. The fact that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional activists were then arrested for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to address a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, projected on to 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 was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Some time that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, 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 squad – a twist that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take 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 several drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”
The Outcome
Just over one month later, all charges was dismissed.
