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

When the announcement was made for the former president's upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their next art-activist event proceeded with precision.

A Provocative Film

Activists created a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous sex offender. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in the files from the criminal probe into that individual … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction globally. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt passed through the officers around me, and the police raced into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first action against Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.

The Arrests

However, the activists were not overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. 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 subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of 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, shortly thereafter was on a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Later that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – an irony which was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates just answered every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: an image of a large projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

Just over a month later, all charges was dismissed.