The Aftermath: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for the former president's upcoming official trip, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded with precision.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a short documentary detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious sex offender. He’s alleged to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files from the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a garbage can outside.
International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. 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 simply makes Trump uneasy. The film we made gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s 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. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared this royal crest. The police are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the officers around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
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 had flown a motorized paraglider near the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
However, the group's creators were not overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy goes into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, reaching the hotel within three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering 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 activists were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – an irony which was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: a picture of a large projector, secured to several drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Outcome
A little more than one month later, all charges were dropped.
