The Unfolding Events: The Night The Activist Group Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
The group produced a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in the files related to the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.
International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt goes through the officers around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider over the resort where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
However, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled 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, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised 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 charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to address a really concerning offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. 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, this time for 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 focus of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photograph: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, 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, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.
