What Happened Next: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their next art-activist event proceeded with precision.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a nine-minute film detailing the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be mentioned, numerous times, in the files from the criminal probe into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the officers around me, and the police raced into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider over the resort where the president was staying in Scotland. A year later, police visited him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

Confrontation with Police

However, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once 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. “Wearing jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that they didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause 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. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, then soon after boarded a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

An Ironic Interrogation

Some time in the middle of the night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the only officers available belonged to the child protection squad – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists just answered every question with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: an image of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

A little more than a month later, every charge were dropped.