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, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go unprotested. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded like clockwork.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be mentioned, repeatedly, in documents related to the criminal probe into that individual … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The activists had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a garbage can outside.
The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly 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 uneasy. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Reveal
The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt goes through the officers around me, and they all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
But, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about arrest. “My nervous energy goes into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”
Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers were unsure under what law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “one officer started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to address a really concerning offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, then soon after boarded a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Some time that night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to all queries with: “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 anyone 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. At that point, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
Just over one month later, all charges was dismissed.
