The Aftermath: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected 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 activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their next creative protest unfolded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a nine-minute film detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents related to the investigation into Epstein … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
International press had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction globally. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. The film we made gives people a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Reveal
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they raced into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort against Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
Confrontation with Police
But, the activists weren't overly concerned about arrest. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”
Delaying a large number of police officers for six minutes. The fact that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “one officer began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Later in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for causing a public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection squad – an irony which was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates just answered every question with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
A little more than one month later, all charges were dropped.
