🔗 Share this article What Happened Next: The Evening The Activist Group Beamed Images of Trump and Epstein on to 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 Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision. A Provocative Film Activists created a short documentary exploring the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. He’s alleged to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files related to the criminal probe into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.) Preparations and Execution The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, on top of a public rubbish bin outside. International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction globally. “While 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. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.” The Reveal The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the officers around me, and they raced into the hotel.” Not Their First Protest It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first action against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured. The Arrests However, the group's creators were not overly concerned about arrest. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’” Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that they didn’t know which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, 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, police re-entered 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 unit – an irony that was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: an image of a giant projector, secured to four drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.” The Final Result A little more than one month later, every charge was dismissed.
When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision. A Provocative Film Activists created a short documentary exploring the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous sex offender. He’s alleged to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files related to the criminal probe into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.) Preparations and Execution The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, on top of a public rubbish bin outside. International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction globally. “While 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. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.” The Reveal The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the officers around me, and they raced into the hotel.” Not Their First Protest It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first action against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured. The Arrests However, the group's creators were not overly concerned about arrest. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’” Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that they didn’t know which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, 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, police re-entered 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 unit – an irony that was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: an image of a giant projector, secured to four drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.” The Final Result A little more than one month later, every charge was dismissed.