What Happened Next: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, including a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event unfolded with precision.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a nine-minute film detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files related to the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The group had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a garbage can outside.

The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”

The Reveal

The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt goes through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

This was not their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort against Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the resort where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

But, the group's creators were not overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that they didn’t know which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other team members were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning 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 says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, then soon after boarded a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Later in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection squad – an irony that was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. The activists responded to all queries with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take 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: an image of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”

The Outcome

A little more than one month later, every charge was dismissed.