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

When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass unprotested. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded with precision.

A Deliberate Message

Activists created a nine-minute film detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in documents from the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, on top of a garbage can outside.

International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”

The Reveal

The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they raced into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

This was not their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.

Confrontation with Police

However, the group's creators were not overly concerned about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no guns. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers were unsure which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional team members were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Some time in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection squad – an irony which was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, secured to four drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.