The Unfolding Events: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their next art-activist event unfolded like clockwork.

A Provocative Film

Activists created a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president 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, numerous times, in the files from the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, on top of a garbage can outside.

The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ We took an act of activist 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 needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly 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 their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

However, the activists weren't overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” The police response was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’”

Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other activists were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed 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 out of Windsor, calling lawyers.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Some time that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, now for public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection squad – an irony which was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered every question with: “I have 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.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. Then, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

A little more than one month later, all charges were dropped.