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 royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass without a statement. The act of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their next art-activist event proceeded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
The group produced a nine-minute film detailing Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president 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 related to the investigation into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
Preparations and Execution
The activists had secured rooms in the nearby 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 powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside.
International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction globally. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something really serious to look at here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. Officers are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the officers nearby, and they all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider over the resort where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited 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 wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in jumpsuits and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional team members were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: 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, seemed 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 out of Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Some time that night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and arrested them again, now for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available were from the child protection unit – an irony which was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: a picture of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
A little more than one month later, every charge were dropped.