What Happened Next: 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, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their next art-activist event proceeded with precision.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in documents from the criminal probe into that individual … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.

International press had gathered, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s 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

It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

This was not the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider over the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

However, the group's creators weren't especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They came roaring 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: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to address a really concerning offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.

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, now for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. The activists responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”

The Outcome

A little more than a month later, all charges was dismissed.