What Happened Next: The Evening Led By Donkeys Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
The group produced a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files related to the criminal probe into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, on top of a garbage can outside.
International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”
The Reveal
The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt passed through the officers nearby, and they all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
This was not the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
However, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Delaying a large number of police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman 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 activists were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later that night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, now for public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – a twist which was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photograph: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Outcome
Just over one month later, every charge was dismissed.