What Happened Next: The Night 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 to ensure it did not go unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded with precision.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a short documentary detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into that individual … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, on top of a garbage can outside.

International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the officers nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. A year later, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

The Arrests

But, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”

Stalling a large number of police officers is a long time. The fact that officers didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “one officer began reciting a clause 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 communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

An Ironic Interrogation

Later in the middle of the night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, this time for public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. The activists responded to every question with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, 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 knew the next move: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”

The Outcome

Just over a month later, all charges was dismissed.