The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go unprotested. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their next art-activist event proceeded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a nine-minute film exploring the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in the files from the investigation into that individual … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction globally. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock goes through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police raced into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
But, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, reaching the hotel within three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that they were unsure which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional activists were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection squad – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a large projector, secured to four drawers. At that point, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Outcome
A little more than one month later, all charges were dropped.