The Unfolding Events: The Night Led By Donkeys Projected Images of Trump and Epstein on to Windsor Castle

When the announcement was made for Donald Trump’s second state visit, complete with a Windsor Castle banquet on 17 September 2025, the activist collective Led By Donkeys felt compelled not to let it pass unprotested. The gesture of rolling out the red carpet was viewed as especially servile. Their next art-activist event proceeded like clockwork.

A Deliberate Message

Activists created a short documentary exploring the connections with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Its ending stated: “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, repeatedly, in the files from the criminal probe into that individual … Now that very man, Donald Trump, is sleeping here in Windsor Castle.” (For his part, Trump has stated he ended his friendship with Epstein long prior to Epstein’s initial legal troubles and repeatedly refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.)

Preparations and Execution

The activists had secured rooms in the nearby Harte and Garter hotel, which boast views of the castle and, more crucially, superior castle views, said a co-founder, Ben Stewart. Their equipment included a powerful projector. To broadcast sound, Stewart positioned a wireless speaker, concealed inside a cereal box, on top of a garbage can outside.

International press was assembled, staring at the castle, growing restless as Trump was delayed. The film, however, spread rapidly everywhere. “While the still pictures of Epstein and Trump spread like wildfire online,” Stewart notes, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uneasy. Our documentary provides viewers a social object to share, implying: ‘There’s something significant to look at here.’ It was an act of activist journalism about Trump and Epstein, and it was viewed 20m times.”

The Moment of Projection

The film began with the official Windsor Castle logo. “Projecting onto a cylindrical building requires some technical calibration,” Stewart explains. “First appeared this royal crest. The police likely thought: ‘How pleasant – a royal tribute,’ and then abruptly a massive image of Jeffrey Epstein appears. A wave of shock goes through the officers nearby, and the police all pile into the hotel.”

Not Their First Protest

It wasn't their inaugural action; nor was it their first effort targeting Trump. In 2018, while working for Greenpeace, Stewart had flown a paraglider over the resort where the president was staying in Scotland. The following year, police visited him that if he tried again, his safety wasn't assured.

Confrontation with Police

However, the activists were not overly concerned about detainment. “All my anxiety goes into wanting the protest works,” says Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police arrive, the die is cast.” Officers was swift, arriving in the lobby in under three minutes, “really pumped up”, he remembers. “Wearing tactical gear and caps. They had located some protesters. They charged up the stairs; they were briefed; tasked to safeguard the guest. Thankfully, no guns. But they were very adrenalised when they entered the room. I had to say: ‘Let’s keep this calm.’”

Delaying multiple police officers for six minutes. It helped that they were unsure which law to charge anyone. When they finally entered the room, “one officer began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, before another asked him to stop as it was incorrect.” Knowles and three other team members were subsequently detained for malicious communication, a law related to harassment. “The law is precise: it’s designed to address a serious offence. Applying it to an act of journalism, projected on to a wall, to protect the reputation of the president, seemed against the spirit of the legislation,” Stewart says archly. While the others were detained, he melted into the crowd, shortly thereafter boarded a train leaving Windsor, contacting legal counsel.

A Second Arrest and Questioning

Some time in the middle of the night, as the detainees were in the cells at Maidenhead police station, officers came in and re-arrested them, this time for causing a public nuisance, deeming it more likely to succeed. When they came to be questioned, the sole available interrogators were from the child protection squad – a twist that was not lost on anyone, given the subject matter of the protest involved alleged sex offender. Knowles and his associates just answered every question with: “I have no comment.” A few minutes into the interview, police presented a photograph: “‘Mr Knowles, did you take 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: an image of a large projector, secured to several drawers. Then, the officers were finding it hard to keep a straight face.”

The Final Result

Just over a month later, every charge was dismissed.