What Happened Next: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Pictures Featuring Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their next creative protest proceeded with precision.

A Provocative Film

The group produced 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 long-time close friend of the nation's most infamous child sex trafficker. His name is said to be referenced, numerous times, in documents from the criminal probe into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest within Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump maintains he fell out with Epstein years before Epstein’s initial legal troubles and has consistently denied all allegations concerning Epstein.)

The Setup

The activists had secured rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a high-lumen 32,000-lumen projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

International press had gathered, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, gained traction globally. “While photographs of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, saying: ‘This is something significant to examine here.’ We took an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was seen 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed through the officers nearby, and they all pile into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a 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

But, the group's creators weren't overly concerned about arrest. “My nervous energy goes into ensuring the protest works,” notes Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” Officers was rapid, reaching the hotel in under three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Fortunately, no guns. But they were very adrenalised 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 were unsure which law to charge anyone. Upon finally entering the room, “one officer started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional team members were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is to address a serious offence. To throw it at a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart remarks pointedly. While the others were detained, he slipped away, shortly thereafter was on a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

An Ironic Interrogation

Some time in the middle of the night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, now for causing a public nuisance, having decided a stronger charge. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators belonged to the child protection squad – a twist which was palpable, given the subject matter of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered all queries with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented 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: a picture of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to four drawers. Then, the officers struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

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