What Happened Next: The Night The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their next creative protest unfolded like clockwork.
A Deliberate Message
The group produced a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. He’s alleged to be mentioned, repeatedly, in documents related to the investigation into that individual … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning 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, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
International press had gathered, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, spread rapidly globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something really serious to examine here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Reveal
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “So there’s this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police raced into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, 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 action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, reaching the hotel within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Delaying a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer 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 additional team members were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “The law is precise: it’s designed to address a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter boarded a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time that night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “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 anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: a picture of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.”
The Outcome
Just over one month later, all charges was dismissed.
