The Unfolding Events: The Evening Led By Donkeys Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their next art-activist event unfolded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous sex offender. He’s alleged to be mentioned, numerous times, in the files related to the investigation into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, on top of a garbage can outside.
The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people a social object to share, implying: ‘There’s something really serious to look at here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the officers nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider over the hotel where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
But, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “one officer started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “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, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection squad – a twist which was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists responded to all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: a picture of a large projector, secured to several drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
A little more than one month later, every charge were dropped.
