🔗 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 the former president's second state visit, including a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their next art-activist event unfolded like clockwork. A Provocative Film The group produced a short documentary detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious sex offender. He’s alleged to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.) The Setup The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside. International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary 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 by millions.” The Moment of Projection It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police raced into the hotel.” A History of Activism This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured. The Arrests But, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the die is cast.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’” Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. The fact that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers. A Second Arrest and Questioning Later that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection squad – an irony that was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists responded to every question with: “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 anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.” The Final Result Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.
When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, including a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their next art-activist event unfolded like clockwork. A Provocative Film The group produced a short documentary detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious sex offender. He’s alleged to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.) The Setup The activists had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside. International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary 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 by millions.” The Moment of Projection It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police raced into the hotel.” A History of Activism This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured. The Arrests But, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the die is cast.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’” Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. The fact that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers. A Second Arrest and Questioning Later that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection squad – an irony that was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists responded to every question with: “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 anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: an image of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.” The Final Result Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.