🔗 Share this article The Unfolding Events: The Evening Led By Donkeys Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded like clockwork. A Deliberate Message Activists created a nine-minute film detailing the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations concerning Epstein.) Preparations and Execution The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside. The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.” The Reveal It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the officers around me, and the police raced into the hotel.” Not Their First Protest It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee. Confrontation with Police But, the activists weren't especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’” Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered 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 additional activists were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers. A Second Arrest and Questioning Some time in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection squad – an irony that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: an image of a giant projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the detectives were finding it hard to keep a straight face.” The Final Result A little more than a month later, all charges were dropped.
When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded like clockwork. A Deliberate Message Activists created a nine-minute film detailing the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations concerning Epstein.) Preparations and Execution The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside. The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.” The Reveal It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the officers around me, and the police raced into the hotel.” Not Their First Protest It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee. Confrontation with Police But, the activists weren't especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’” Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered 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 additional activists were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers. A Second Arrest and Questioning Some time in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection squad – an irony that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: an image of a giant projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the detectives were finding it hard to keep a straight face.” The Final Result A little more than a month later, all charges were dropped.