The Unfolding Events: The Evening Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle

When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s upcoming official trip, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the protest group Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as especially servile. Their subsequent art-activist event proceeded like clockwork.

A Deliberate Message

Activists created a short documentary detailing the connections with the late financier 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 mentioned, repeatedly, in the files related to the investigation into that individual … Now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here within 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 in relation to Epstein.)

The Setup

The group had booked rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast “castle view” and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed within a box of cereal, atop a public rubbish bin outside.

The world’s media had gathered, staring at the castle, becoming bored as Trump was delayed. The film, however, gained traction everywhere. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went viral online,” Stewart says, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it simply makes Trump uncomfortable. Our documentary provides viewers something tangible to share, saying: ‘There’s something significant to examine here.’ It was 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. “It requires the castle's round tower requires some technical calibration,” Stewart states. “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 appears. This electric jolt goes through the police in fluorescent jackets nearby, and they all pile into the hotel.”

A History of Activism

It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort against Trump. Back in 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider over the hotel where the president was staying in Scotland. A year later, officers warned him that any repeat, they couldn’t guarantee.

The Arrests

However, the group's creators were not overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “Once the police make the intervention, the die is cast.” Officers was rapid, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, highly agitated, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They’d finally found some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; they were on a mission to protect the president. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I told them: ‘We should keep this calm.’”

Stalling multiple police officers for six minutes. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to make arrests. When they finally entered the room, “a policeman started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another told him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three additional activists were then arrested for malicious communication, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: its purpose is 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 against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter was on a train out of Windsor, calling lawyers.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Later that night, while the activists were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the only officers available belonged to the child protection unit – a twist that was palpable, given the focus of the protest concerned Jeffrey Epstein. Knowles and his associates responded to every question with: “No comment.” A few minutes into the interview, the officers slid over a photo: “They asked, did you remove the drawer from this nightstand?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had cause to take the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I anticipated the next move: a picture of a large projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the detectives struggled to maintain their composure.”

The Final Result

Just over a month later, all charges were dropped.