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

When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded with precision.

A Deliberate Message

The group produced a short documentary exploring the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in documents from the criminal probe 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 repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside.

The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”

The Reveal

It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and they raced into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

This was not their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

Confrontation with Police

However, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the die is cast.” Officers was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”

Delaying a large number of police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers were unsure under what law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists 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 an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Later in the middle of the night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”

The Outcome

Just over one month later, all charges were dropped.