The Unfolding Events: The Night The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their next art-activist event unfolded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a nine-minute film exploring the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in documents related to the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, atop a garbage can outside.
International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
However, the activists were not especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, reaching the hotel within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that they were unsure which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a really concerning 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 remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time in the middle of the night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – a twist which was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: 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, all charges were dropped.
