🔗 Share this article What Happened Next: The Night The Activist Group Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 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 seemed especially servile. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded like clockwork. A Provocative Film Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious sex offender. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in documents related to the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.) Preparations and Execution The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside. The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.” The Moment of Projection The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they raced into the hotel.” A History of Activism This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee. Confrontation with Police However, the activists were not especially worried about arrest. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’” Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a section 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 subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: 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, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers. An Ironic Interrogation Some time in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, this time for public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection squad – a twist that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.” The Outcome Just over a month later, every charge was dismissed.
When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 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 seemed especially servile. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded like clockwork. A Provocative Film Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious sex offender. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in documents related to the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.) Preparations and Execution The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside. The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.” The Moment of Projection The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they raced into the hotel.” A History of Activism This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee. Confrontation with Police However, the activists were not especially worried about arrest. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’” Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a section 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 subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: 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, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers. An Ironic Interrogation Some time in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, this time for public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection squad – a twist that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.” The Outcome Just over a month later, every charge was dismissed.