🔗 Share this article The Unfolding Events: The Night Led By Donkeys Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group known as 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 creative protest proceeded like clockwork. A Deliberate Message The group produced a short documentary detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … 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 first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.) The Setup The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside. The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.” The Moment of Projection The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers 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 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. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee. Confrontation with Police However, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; 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: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’” Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that they were unsure which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to address a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed 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, contacting legal counsel. A Second Arrest and Questioning Later in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection squad – an irony that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.” The Outcome Just over a month later, every charge were dropped.
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group known as 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 creative protest proceeded like clockwork. A Deliberate Message The group produced a short documentary detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … 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 first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.) The Setup The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside. The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.” The Moment of Projection The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers 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 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. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee. Confrontation with Police However, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; 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: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’” Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that they were unsure which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to address a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed 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, contacting legal counsel. A Second Arrest and Questioning Later in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection squad – an irony that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest involved Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.” The Outcome Just over a month later, every charge were dropped.