The Aftermath: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event proceeded like clockwork.

A Deliberate Message

Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure 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 mentioned, repeatedly, in the files related to the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless 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 uncomfortable. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

It started 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 – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt goes through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and they raced into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

It wasn't their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the resort where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

The Arrests

But, the activists weren't especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They had located the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Delaying a large number of police officers is a long time. The fact that they were unsure under what law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “one officer began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Some time that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, 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 responded to every question 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 anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: an image of a giant projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

Just over a month later, every charge was dismissed.