The Aftermath: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s second state visit, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their next creative protest proceeded with precision.

A Deliberate Message

Activists created a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a longstanding associate of America’s most notorious sex offender. He’s alleged to be mentioned, repeatedly, in the files from the investigation into that individual … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a Bluetooth speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, growing restless awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, spread rapidly globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 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. “First appeared the royal coat of arms. Officers likely thought: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt goes through the officers around me, and they all pile into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider near the resort where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

But, the group's creators were not overly concerned about detainment. “My nervous energy is channelled into ensuring the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “Once the police arrive, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Stalling a large number of police officers is a long time. It helped that they were unsure which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading 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 communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, projected on to 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

Later that night, while the activists sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, now for public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection squad – a twist that was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated what was coming: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. At that point, the detectives were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”

The Outcome

A little more than a month later, every charge were dropped.