🔗 Share this article The Aftermath: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle When the announcement was made for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their next art-activist event unfolded like clockwork. A Provocative Film Activists created a short documentary exploring the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president 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 mentioned, repeatedly, in documents from the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship 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 nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, on top of a public rubbish bin outside. The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly everywhere. “While 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 uneasy. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ We took 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 needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed 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; it wasn’t even their first action against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider over the resort where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured. The Arrests However, the activists weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety 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 swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’” Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers. An Ironic Interrogation Some time that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection unit – a twist which was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the officers were finding it hard to keep a straight face.” The Outcome Just over a month later, every charge were dropped.
When the announcement was made for the former president's upcoming official trip, including a royal dinner at Windsor on 17 September 2025, the activist collective known as Led By Donkeys was determined not to let it pass without a statement. The gesture of offering a lavish welcome was viewed as especially servile. Their next art-activist event unfolded like clockwork. A Provocative Film Activists created a short documentary exploring the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. It concluded: “The president 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 mentioned, repeatedly, in documents from the investigation into that individual … And now that president, Donald Trump, is a guest in Windsor Castle.” (In response, Trump has stated he ended his friendship 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 nearby Harte and Garter hotel, rooms advertised with views of the castle and, even more helpfully, superior castle views, according to a co-founder, Ben Stewart. They utilized a powerful projector. For audio, Stewart placed a wireless speaker, hidden inside a cereal box, on top of a public rubbish bin outside. The world’s media was assembled, staring at the castle, becoming bored awaiting Trump's arrival. Their film, spread rapidly everywhere. “While 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 uneasy. The film we made provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘This is something significant to look at here.’ We took 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 needs a little bit of mapping,” Stewart states. “So there’s the royal coat of arms. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – a royal tribute,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein materializes. A wave of shock passed 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; it wasn’t even their first action against Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart piloted a paraglider over the resort where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, officers warned him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured. The Arrests However, the activists weren't overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety 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 swift, arriving in the lobby within three minutes, highly agitated, Knowles recalls. “Wearing tactical gear and baseball caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; prepared; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no firearms. But they were extremely tense when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘We should keep this calm.’” Delaying multiple police officers is a long time. The fact that officers didn’t know which law to make arrests. Upon finally entering the room, “a policeman started reading a clause of the Town and Country Planning Act, which another officer told him to stop because it wasn’t right.” Knowles and three other activists were subsequently detained for malicious communications, a stalking law. “and it’s very specific: it’s designed to deal with a serious offence. Applying it to a piece of journalism, displayed on a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed contrary to the intent of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. As his colleagues were arrested, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, calling lawyers. An Ironic Interrogation Some time that night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, police re-entered and arrested them again, this time for causing a public nuisance, having decided more likely to succeed. During interrogation, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection unit – a twist which was palpable, given the focus of the protest involved alleged sex offender. The activists just answered all queries with: “I have no comment.” Shortly after starting the interview, police presented a photo: “‘Mr Knowles, did you remove the drawer from this bedside table?’ ‘No comment.’ ‘Sir, do you know anyone who may have had reason to remove the drawer?’ ‘No comment.’ I knew the next move: a picture of a giant projector, ratchet-strapped to several drawers. At that point, the officers were finding it hard to keep a straight face.” The Outcome Just over a month later, every charge were dropped.