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

When the announcement was made for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go unprotested. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome seemed especially servile. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded like clockwork.

A Deliberate Message

The group produced a nine-minute film detailing the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents related to the investigation into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, on top of a garbage can outside.

The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. The film, however, gained traction globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. The film we made provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to examine here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”

The Moment of Projection

It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower 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 police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police 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. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider over the hotel where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

The Arrests

But, the group's creators weren't especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, reaching the hotel within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that they were unsure under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, displayed on 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, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Some time in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – a twist which was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take 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 giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”

The Final Result

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