The Aftermath: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass unprotested. The act of offering a lavish welcome seemed especially servile. Their subsequent 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 commander-in-chief of the United States was a longstanding associate of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be mentioned, numerous times, in documents related to the criminal probe into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he ended his friendship with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.)
The Setup
The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, on top of a garbage can outside.
The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people 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 viewed by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto the castle's round tower requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the officers around me, and they all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not their inaugural action; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider over the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
But, the group's creators weren't especially worried about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” The police response was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers were unsure which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer 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 team members were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a really concerning offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, then soon after boarded a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Later in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection squad – an irony that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists responded to all queries with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: a picture of a large projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.
