The Unfolding Events: 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 unprotested. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as especially servile. Their next creative protest unfolded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a short documentary exploring the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents related to the investigation into Epstein … Now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The group had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, implying: ‘There’s something really serious to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt passed through the officers around me, and the police raced into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
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 hotel where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
The Arrests
However, the activists weren't especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that they didn’t know which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to 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 slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection unit – a twist which was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered all queries with: “I have 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.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
A little more than a month later, every charge were dropped.
