The Aftermath: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for the former president's upcoming official trip, complete with 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 act of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
The group produced a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous sex offender. He’s alleged to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing 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, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed 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. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. The film we made gives people something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they raced into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
Confrontation with Police
But, the activists weren't especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in tactical gear and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged 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 told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”
Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that they were unsure under what law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: 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. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
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 arrested them again, now for public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photograph: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Outcome
A little more than one month later, all charges were dropped.
