What Happened Next: The Night Led By Donkeys Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as especially servile. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded like clockwork.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a nine-minute film exploring the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files from the investigation into Epstein … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction globally. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people a social object to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Reveal
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock goes through the officers around me, and they all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
This was not their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action against Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
But, the activists weren't overly concerned about arrest. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police arrive, the die is cast.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “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 contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter was on a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Some time that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – an irony which was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “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.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
Just over a month later, every charge were dropped.
