As President Trump arrived for his state visit this week, British activists didn’t hold back their disapproval. They dramatically projected an image of Mr. Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein onto the historic walls of Windsor Castle and unfurled a massive banner displaying the same controversial image across the castle’s sprawling lawn.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump landed in London on Tuesday night, with a packed itinerary ahead. Their schedule included a Wednesday visit to Windsor Castle, where they were to be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Additionally, Mr. Trump was set to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his official country retreat, Chequers, on Thursday.
Authorities swiftly moved to halt both demonstrations. Police made arrests related to the projection, though the groups behind the actions declared their objective achieved: to publicly embarrass the president by drawing attention to his past association with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The large banner was organized by the activist group ‘Everyone Hates Elon,’ known for previous protests in Britain targeting billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk.
Given Mr. Trump’s widespread unpopularity in Britain, his visit also prompted Channel 4, a prominent public broadcaster, to air a special focused on fact-checking his controversial claims made during his presidency. A large public demonstration was also slated for Wednesday in London’s streets.
This isn’t his first experience with British protests; his state visit in 2019 also saw massive crowds expressing similar sentiments of disapproval.
In recent months, Mr. Trump has faced persistent public scrutiny regarding his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, who was arrested for sex trafficking in 2019 and later died in prison. Recent document releases by lawmakers further detailed the financier’s ties to Mr. Trump, who has consistently dismissed the Epstein case as a ‘hoax.’
Measuring an impressive 65 feet by 65 feet, the banner was funded through a crowdfunding effort supported by approximately 2,000 donors, according to the group’s spokeswoman.
The controversial images projected onto Windsor Castle’s towers were reportedly the work of ‘Led By Donkeys,’ another activist group known for similar public displays. These images were also shared on their Instagram account.
Chief Superintendent Felicity Parker of the Thames Valley Police confirmed that officers ‘responded swiftly’ to stop the projection, leading to four arrests on suspicion of malicious communications, a minor offense.
As Wednesday marked the official start of Mr. Trump’s state visit, large numbers of protesters were anticipated to assemble in London, with plans to march towards Parliament Square.
Wednesday evening also featured a multi-hour television special on Channel 4, presenting what the broadcaster described as a ‘reel of untruths, falsehoods, and distortions’ spoken by Mr. Trump since January, each statement accompanied by rigorous fact-checks.
Ian Katz, Channel 4’s chief content officer, stated, ‘We hope it will remind viewers how disorientating and dangerous the world becomes when the most powerful man on earth shows little regard for the truth.’