🔗 Share this article What Happened Next: The Evening The Activist Group Projected Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle When the announcement was made for the former president's second state visit, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their next art-activist event unfolded like clockwork. A Provocative Film Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.) The Setup The group had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside. The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.” The Moment of Projection The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. The police 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 police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they all pile into the hotel.” Not Their First Protest It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured. The Arrests However, the activists weren't especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’” Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that they didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning offence. To throw it at 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. While the others were detained, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers. A Second Arrest and Questioning Later that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – a twist which was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to all queries with: “I have 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 reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.” The Final Result Just over a month later, all charges was dismissed.
When the announcement was made for the former president's second state visit, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their next art-activist event unfolded like clockwork. A Provocative Film Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.) The Setup The group had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside. The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.” The Moment of Projection The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. The police 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 police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they all pile into the hotel.” Not Their First Protest It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured. The Arrests However, the activists weren't especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’” Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that they didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning offence. To throw it at 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. While the others were detained, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers. A Second Arrest and Questioning Later that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – a twist which was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to all queries with: “I have 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 reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.” The Final Result Just over a month later, all charges was dismissed.