What Happened Next: The Evening Led By Donkeys Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s second state visit, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
The group produced a short documentary detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. He’s alleged to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files related to the investigation into Epstein … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something really serious 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
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock goes through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
But, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”
Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later 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 causing a public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – a twist 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, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: an image of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the officers were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.
