The Aftermath: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle
When the announcement was made for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest unfolded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a short documentary detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, repeatedly, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, 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 secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart placed a Bluetooth speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside.
The world’s media had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. The film we made provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”
The Reveal
It started with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. This electric jolt passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and they raced into the hotel.”
A History of Activism
It wasn't the group’s first rodeo; it wasn’t even their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. The following year, police visited him that any repeat, his safety wasn't assured.
The Arrests
But, the group's creators were not overly concerned about arrest. “All my anxiety is channelled into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” The police response was swift, reaching the hotel within three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “They were in tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that they didn’t know under what law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “one officer began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later in the middle of the night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, this time for public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anybody else who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a large projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Final Result
A little more than one month later, all charges were dropped.
