The Aftermath: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein on to 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 was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as especially servile. Their next creative protest proceeded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
The group produced a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in documents from the criminal probe into Epstein … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a garbage can outside.
International press had gathered, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. The film we made gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something really serious to look at 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 recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower requires some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the officers around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
However, the group's creators were not especially worried about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” Officers was swift, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no guns. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”
Delaying a large number of police officers for six minutes. The fact that they didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. When they finally entered 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 team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: it’s designed to address a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, then soon after boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, 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 were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
Just over one month later, all charges was dismissed.
