The Aftermath: 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 second state visit, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The act of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their next art-activist event proceeded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a short documentary detailing the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in documents related to the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a garbage can outside.
International press had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘This is something really serious to examine 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. “It requires the castle's round tower requires some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock goes through the officers around me, and they raced into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
Confrontation with Police
But, the activists weren't overly concerned about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know 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 told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional activists were then arrested for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to address a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on 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 out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – an irony that was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
Just over one month later, every charge were dropped.