The Aftermath: The Evening Led By Donkeys Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, including a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as particularly craven. Their next creative protest unfolded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in documents from the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ It was 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. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the officers around me, and the police raced into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the resort where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.
Confrontation with Police
But, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” Officers was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers were unsure which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “one officer started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to an act 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. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. During interrogation, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – a twist that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Outcome
A little more than a month later, every charge was dismissed.
