The activist group Led By Donkeys, known for their eye-catching political interventions, recently took centre stage at a Guardian Live event to discuss their controversial campaigns and future ambitions.
From Humble Beginnings to Headline Acts
Oliver Knowles of Led By Donkeys shared the group's origin story during the Monday 24th November 2025 event at Walthamstow's Soho Theater. The collective first came together with a shared frustration about political leadership and has since evolved into one of Britain's most recognisable activist organisations.
The group has targeted numerous political issues through their distinctive guerrilla actions, including the Brexit debate, government handling of the Covid crisis, and international conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Their approach combines bold visual statements with meticulous planning to maximise media attention and public engagement.
The Mechanics Behind the Movements
James Sadri and Ben Stewart provided rare insights into the operational side of their most famous campaigns during the discussion. They explained how the group organises and executes their high-profile interventions, revealing the careful coordination required for their headline-grabbing work.
Visual elements from their installations were displayed throughout the evening, including hundreds of red pens from their National Covid Memorial Wall project spilling across the stage. This powerful visual represented just one of their many memorials to pandemic victims, criticising the government's handling of the crisis.
International Impact and Future Ambitions
The event featured striking images of their international campaigns, including the moment they painted the road outside the Russian Embassy in Ukrainian flag colours. Another powerful projection showed Donald Trump with Jeffrey Epstein against the backdrop of Windsor Castle, demonstrating their willingness to confront powerful figures directly.
Despite their already significant impact on political discourse, the activists made clear that they're only just getting started with their campaigning work. The group continues to develop new methods for holding politicians and powerful institutions to account through creative public interventions.
The Guardian Live event, produced by Bridgette Mohammed and Maddie Earle, provided unprecedented access to the minds behind one of Britain's most talked-about activist groups, offering audiences a deeper understanding of modern political protest methods.
