The Unfolding Events: The Night Led By Donkeys Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed 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 gesture of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their subsequent art-activist event proceeded with precision.

A Deliberate Message

The group produced a nine-minute film exploring the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”

The Moment of Projection

It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. 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 passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they raced into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first action against Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider over the hotel where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

Confrontation with Police

However, the group's creators weren't especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that officers didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “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, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.

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 re-arrested them, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection squad – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. The activists responded to all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you take 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 anticipated what was coming: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”

The Final Result

Just over one month later, all charges was dismissed.