What Happened Next: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed 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 felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as especially servile. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a short documentary detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files related to the investigation into Epstein … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he ended his friendship 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, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something really serious to look at here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the officers nearby, and they all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

But, the group's creators weren't especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”

Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.

An Ironic Interrogation

Later that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, now for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – an irony that was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered every question with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

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