The Aftermath: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Pictures Featuring 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 Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as particularly craven. Their subsequent art-activist event proceeded like clockwork.

A Provocative Film

The group produced a short documentary exploring Donald Trump’s relationship with the late financier 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 child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be referenced, numerous times, in the files from the criminal probe into that individual … And now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s first arrest and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, even more helpfully, “castle view superior”, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, atop a garbage can outside.

The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. The film, however, gained traction globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘This is something really serious to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen by millions.”

The Moment of Projection

It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building needs some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “So there’s this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. This electric jolt goes through the officers nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider over the resort where the then-president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. A year later, police visited him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

However, the group's creators were not especially worried about arrest. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the action to succeed,” says Oliver Knowles, a fellow founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the message is already out.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, “really pumped up”, Knowles recalls. “They were in jumpsuits and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They came roaring up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were very adrenalised upon entering the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”

Stalling a large number of police officers is a long time. The fact that they didn’t know under what law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: its purpose is to address a really concerning offence. To throw it at 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 remarks pointedly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, then soon after was on a train out of Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Later in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time 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 – a twist that was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. The activists just answered every question with: “No comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a large projector, secured to several drawers. Then, the officers struggled to keep a straight face.”

The Final Result

A little more than a month later, all charges were dropped.