The Aftermath: The Night Led By Donkeys Beamed Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their next art-activist event proceeded with precision.

A Deliberate Message

The group produced a short documentary exploring the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, on top of a garbage can outside.

International press was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. The film we made provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something really serious to examine here.’ We took a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”

The Moment of Projection

It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

This was not their inaugural action; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider over the resort where the then-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

However, the activists weren't especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety is channelled into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the die is cast.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Stalling multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that officers were unsure which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were then arrested for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: its purpose is to address a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Some time that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection squad – a twist which was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered 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 bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: an image of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Outcome

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