The Unfolding Events: The Night The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to 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 protest group known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their next art-activist event unfolded with precision.

A Provocative Film

Activists created a nine-minute film detailing the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief 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 documents related to the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had secured rooms in the adjacent 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. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

This was not their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider over the resort where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

But, the activists were not especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”

Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked 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: its purpose is to address a serious offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Some time that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection unit – a twist which was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”

The Final Result

A little more than a month later, every charge was dismissed.