What Happened Next: The Night Led By Donkeys Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their next art-activist event unfolded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. He’s alleged to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The group had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, spread rapidly everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘This is 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
The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock goes through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police raced into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action against Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
However, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” The police response was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know which law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were subsequently detained 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 a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Some time in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection squad – a twist that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”
The Outcome
Just over one month later, every charge was dismissed.