The Aftermath: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been 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.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”
The Reveal
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with 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, his safety wasn't assured.
Confrontation with Police
But, the activists were not especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers were unsure which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other activists were then arrested for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, then soon after boarded a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Later that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available were from the child protection squad – a twist which was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “They asked, did you take 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 the next move: a picture of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”
The Outcome
Just over one month later, every charge were dropped.
