The Unfolding Events: The Evening Led By Donkeys Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The act of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their next creative protest unfolded like clockwork.

A Deliberate Message

The group produced a short documentary detailing 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 the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in the files related to the investigation into Epstein … And now that very man, 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 all allegations concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ We took 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 the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the officers around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

Confrontation with Police

But, the group's creators were not overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”

Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that they were unsure which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman 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 activists were then arrested for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, projected on to 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 melted into the crowd, then soon after boarded a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

An Ironic Interrogation

Later in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection squad – a twist that was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

A little more than one month later, every charge were dropped.