The Aftermath: The Night The Activist Group Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event proceeded like clockwork.

A Provocative Film

Activists created a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files from the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

International press had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something really serious to examine here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”

The Reveal

It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first effort against Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. A year later, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

However, the group's creators weren't especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a really concerning offence. To throw it at 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 says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Later that night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. The activists just answered every question with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a large projector, secured 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, all charges were dropped.