🔗 Share this article The Unfolding Events: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their next creative protest unfolded like clockwork. A Deliberate Message The group produced a short documentary detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.) Preparations and Execution The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside. The world’s media had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.” The Moment of Projection It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘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 nearby, and they raced into the hotel.” A History of Activism It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee. The Arrests However, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’” Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers were unsure under what law to charge anyone. 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 subsequently detained for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to address a serious offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers. A Second Arrest and Questioning Later in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – an irony which was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.” The Outcome Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their next creative protest unfolded like clockwork. A Deliberate Message The group produced a short documentary detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.) Preparations and Execution The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside. The world’s media had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.” The Moment of Projection It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘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 nearby, and they raced into the hotel.” A History of Activism It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee. The Arrests However, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’” Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers were unsure under what law to charge anyone. 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 subsequently detained for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to address a serious offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers. A Second Arrest and Questioning Later in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – an irony which was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.” The Outcome Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.