The Unfolding Events: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made 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 not to let it pass unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome seemed especially servile. Their next creative protest proceeded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a short documentary detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in documents related to the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside.
The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s this royal crest. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the officers nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
This was not their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort against Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
However, the activists were not especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety is channelled into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other activists were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time in the middle of the night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection unit – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.