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 second state visit, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their next creative protest unfolded with precision.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in the files from the investigation into Epstein … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”

The Reveal

It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the officers nearby, and they raced into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

The Arrests

However, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”

Stalling multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that they didn’t know which law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional activists were then arrested for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Later that night, as the detainees were in the 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 only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to every question 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.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a large projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”

The Outcome

Just over one month later, all charges were dropped.