Led By Donkeys Projects Epstein Allegations onto Windsor Castle in Bold Protest
A provocative art-activist campaign by Led By Donkeys culminated in a striking projection onto Windsor Castle, timed to coincide with the anticipated state visit of former President Donald Trump in September 2025. The group’s action, a direct response to the planned state visit, aimed to draw attention to Trump’s past relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The protest centered around a nine-minute film detailing Trump’s association with Epstein, concluding with a stark statement: “The president of the United States was a long-time close friend of America’s most notorious child sex trafficker. He’s alleged to be mentioned, numerous times, in the files arising from the investigation into that child sex trafficker … Now that president, Donald Trump, is sleeping here, in Windsor Castle.” Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, stating he had distanced himself years before Epstein’s initial arrest.
Led By Donkeys meticulously planned the operation, securing rooms at the Harte and Garter hotel, chosen for its “castle view” – and, as one founder, Ben Stewart, noted, its “castle view superior” rooms. The group deployed a powerful 32,000-lumen projector, and ingeniously concealed a Bluetooth speaker, powered by a box of Kellogg’s Fruit ’n Fibre, atop a rubbish bin to provide the film’s soundtrack.
The timing was crucial. With the world’s media assembled but awaiting Trump’s arrival, Led By Donkeys seized the opportunity. “Although the still pictures of Epstein and Trump went crazy online,” Stewart explained, “I’m not sure that persuades anyone of anything – it just makes Trump uncomfortable. The film we made gives people a social object to share, saying: ‘There’s something really serious to look at here.’” The film reportedly garnered 20 million views, transforming a piece of guerrilla journalism into a widely disseminated message.
The projection itself was a calculated move. Starting with the Windsor Castle logo, the film transitioned to images of Epstein, creating a jarring juxtaposition. “It requires a little bit of mapping to project on to a cylindrical building,” Stewart described the technical challenge. “So there’s this royal crest of arms. The police are thinking: ‘Ah, that’s nice – the royal family,’ and suddenly a great big picture of Jeffrey Epstein comes up.” The unexpected imagery reportedly caused a visible reaction among law enforcement. “This electric jolt goes through the fluoro [fluorescent jackets of the police] around me, and the police all pile into the hotel.”
This wasn’t Led By Donkeys’ first foray into political activism. The group’s founders have a history of direct action, including a 2018 incident where a member flew a paraglider over the hotel where Trump was staying in Scotland. Following that event, police warned against further such demonstrations. However, the group remained undeterred. “All my anxiety is channelled into wanting the action to succeed,” said Oliver Knowles, another co-founder. “By the time the police make the intervention, the die is cast.”
Police responded swiftly, entering the hotel lobby within three minutes. Knowles recalled the officers arriving “really pumped up,” in jumpsuits and baseball caps, “on a mission to protect the president.” The activists managed to stall the officers for six minutes, capitalizing on the initial confusion over the legal basis for an arrest. When authorities finally entered the room, one officer began reciting a section of the Town and Country Planning Act before being corrected by a colleague.
Ultimately, Knowles and three other team members were arrested on suspicion of malicious communication, a law typically used in stalking cases. Stewart argued that applying this law to their act of political protest was a misapplication of the legislation, designed to protect the president’s reputation rather than address a genuine threat. While the arrests were underway, Stewart evaded capture and boarded a train, contacting legal counsel.
The situation took a further turn when, in the middle of the night, the activists were re-arrested at Maidenhead police station, this time on charges of public nuisance. In a striking irony, the only officers available for questioning were from the child protection squad, tasked with interrogating the activists regarding Epstein while other officers were focused on protecting Trump. In response to all questioning, the activists invoked their right to remain silent, offering only “No comment.” During the interrogation, detectives presented a photograph of a projector secured with ratchet straps to a bedside table drawer, a moment Knowles described as prompting suppressed amusement among the officers.
Despite the arrests and subsequent charges, all charges against the Led By Donkeys activists were dropped just over a month later, marking a victory for the group and highlighting the complexities of balancing political protest with security concerns and legal boundaries. The incident underscores the power of creative activism to disrupt the status quo and force a reckoning with uncomfortable truths.
