The Unfolding Events: The Night The Activist Group Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their next art-activist event proceeded with precision.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in the files related to the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, on top of a garbage can outside.
The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “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. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the officers nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider over the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
But, the group's creators were not overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that officers didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional activists were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to address a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Later that night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, 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 – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
Just over one month later, every charge was dismissed.
