What Happened Next: The Night The Activist Group Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When the announcement was made for the former president's second state visit, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the protest group known as 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 next creative protest proceeded with precision.

A Deliberate Message

Activists created 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 long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents 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 long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to examine 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. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the officers nearby, and they raced into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.

Confrontation with Police

However, the group's creators were not overly concerned about arrest. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’”

Stalling multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that officers were unsure which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, then soon after boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.

An Ironic Interrogation

Some time in the middle of the night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection squad – a twist which was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you remove 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 knew what was coming: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

A little more than a month later, all charges was dismissed.