The Aftermath: The Evening 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 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass unprotested. The act of rolling out the red carpet seemed particularly craven. Their subsequent creative protest proceeded with precision.
A Deliberate Message
Activists created a short documentary detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The commander-in-chief of the United States is alleged to have been a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious sex offender. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in documents from the investigation into Epstein … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied 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, superior castle views, said group founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, hidden within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.
The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. Their film, gained traction everywhere. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I doubt that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary gives people something tangible to share, implying: ‘There’s something really serious to examine here.’ It was a piece of guerrilla journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed by millions.”
The Moment of Projection
It started with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. Officers likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock goes through the police in fluorescent jackets around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
Not Their First Protest
This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first action against Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a motorized paraglider over the hotel where the then-president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, they couldn’t guarantee.
Confrontation with Police
However, the group's creators were not especially worried about arrest. “All my anxiety is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” The police response was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to protect the president. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I told them: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”
Stalling a large number of police officers for six minutes. It helped that they didn’t know which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three additional activists were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a stalking law. “The law is precise: it’s designed to deal with a really concerning offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, projected on to a wall, in defense of the reputation of the president, appeared contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.
A Second Arrest and Questioning
Some time that night, as the detainees sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and re-arrested them, now for causing a public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection unit – a twist which was not lost on anyone, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove 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 knew what was coming: an image of a large projector, secured to several drawers. At that point, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”
The Final Result
A little more than one month later, every charge were dropped.
