What Happened Next: The Evening 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 Windsor Castle banquet 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 particularly craven. Their next art-activist event unfolded like clockwork.

A Provocative Film

Activists created a nine-minute film exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “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, repeatedly, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied all allegations in relation to Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”

The Reveal

The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “It requires a cylindrical building needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock goes through the officers around me, and they raced into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a motorized paraglider over the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

The Arrests

However, the group's creators were not overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was swift, reaching the hotel within three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Fortunately, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that officers didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another 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: it’s designed to address a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.

An Ironic Interrogation

Later in the middle of the night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the only officers available were from the child protection squad – an irony that was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “They asked, did you take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”

The Final Result

Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.