What Happened Next: The Evening Led By Donkeys Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, including a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the protest group known as 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 particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event proceeded with precision.

A Deliberate Message

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 longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in the files from the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a garbage can outside.

International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and they raced into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action against Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

But, the group's creators were not overly concerned about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a really concerning 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 remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after boarded a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Some time that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection squad – a twist which was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, secured to four 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.