What Happened Next: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, including a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their next creative protest proceeded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
The group produced a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. He’s alleged to be mentioned, numerous times, in documents related to the criminal probe into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, atop a garbage can outside.
The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, implying: ‘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 Moment of Projection
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider over the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
However, the activists weren't overly concerned about arrest. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later that night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection squad – an irony which was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered every question with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
A little more than one month later, all charges were dropped.
