What Happened Next: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When plans were revealed for the former president's second state visit, complete with a royal dinner at Windsor on September 17th, 2025, the protest group known as Led By Donkeys was determined to ensure it did not go without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet seemed especially servile. Their next creative protest unfolded like clockwork.

A Deliberate Message

Activists created a nine-minute film detailing the connections with notorious figure Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “The president 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 related to the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he fell out with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted all allegations in relation to Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The activists had booked rooms in the adjacent Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with “castle view” and, more crucially, “castle view superior”, said 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, on top of a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media was assembled, their gaze fixed at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, gained traction globally. “Although photographs of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that convinces people of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people a social object 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 by millions.”

The Reveal

The film began with the recognizable Windsor Castle logo. “It requires the castle's round tower needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart explains. “So there’s this royal crest. The police are thinking: ‘How pleasant – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock passed through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and the police raced into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

This was not the group’s first rodeo; nor was it their first action targeting Trump. Back in 2018, during his time with Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider over the hotel where the president was staying during a visit to Turnberry. 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 detainment. “My nervous energy goes into wanting the protest works,” 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, he remembers. “Wearing jumpsuits and caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; they were on a mission to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were extremely tense upon entering the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this really calm.’”

Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that they were unsure which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman began reciting a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to address a serious offence. To throw it at an act of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he slipped away, shortly thereafter 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 sat in cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for causing a public nuisance, deeming it a stronger charge. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available were from the child protection squad – a twist which was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned alleged sex offender. The activists just answered all queries with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Mr Knowles, do you know anybody else who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew what was coming: an image of a giant projector, secured to four drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to maintain their composure.”

The Outcome

Just over a month later, all charges was dismissed.