The Aftermath: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle
When plans were revealed for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a Windsor Castle banquet on September 17th, 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys felt compelled to ensure it did not go without a statement. The act of offering a lavish welcome seemed especially servile. Their next creative protest proceeded like clockwork.
A Provocative Film
Activists created a nine-minute film detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in the files related to the investigation into Epstein … Now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)
The Setup
The group had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
International press was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that convinces people of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ It was 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 a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and suddenly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, 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. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider near the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. A year later, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
The Arrests
However, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into ensuring the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time 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. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They’d finally found the culprits. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no guns. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this really calm.’”
Stalling multiple police officers is a long time. It helped that officers were unsure under what law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
An Ironic Interrogation
Later that night, while the activists 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. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection squad – a twist that was palpable, given the subject matter 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 take the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a giant projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”
The Outcome
Just over one month later, every charge were dropped.
