The Unfolding Events: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected 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 September 17th, 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded like clockwork.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted all allegations concerning Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Reveal
The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock goes through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
This was not their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first effort against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
But, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional team members were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to deal with a really concerning offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Later that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to every question with: “I have 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 anticipated what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
Just over one month later, every charge was dismissed.