The Aftermath: The Evening The Activist Group Projected Images of 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 17 September 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event proceeded like clockwork.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. The film we made gives people a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”

The Moment of Projection

It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

The Arrests

But, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about arrest. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers were unsure which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional activists were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, projected on to 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, then soon after boarded a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

An Ironic Interrogation

Later in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it 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 focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take 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 knew what was coming: a picture of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”

The Final Result

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