What Happened Next: The Evening Led By Donkeys Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a nine-minute film exploring 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 long-time close friend of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in documents from the criminal probe into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing 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 a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just 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 an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Reveal
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and they all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
But, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”
Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that they were unsure which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed 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, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – a twist which was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photograph: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, 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 were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.
