The Aftermath: The Night Led By Donkeys Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When the announcement was made for the former president's second state visit, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their next creative protest proceeded like clockwork.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in documents related to the investigation into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 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 globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘This is 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 recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first action against Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near 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

But, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”

Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other activists were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

An Ironic Interrogation

Some time that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, now 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 that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the detectives struggled to keep a straight face.”

The Final Result

Just over a month later, all charges was dismissed.