Masked Truth Events

Manchester - 26th April 2025

On Saturday 26th April, The Masked Truth proudly hosted a powerful Stop Forced Adoption event in Manchester, bringing together campaigners, advocates, and members of the public united for change.

We were honoured to be joined by notable guests, including Nick Tenconi, leader of UKIP; Raja Miah MBE; Alan Merritt; and many more passionate voices standing against the injustices of forced adoption.

The event served as a powerful reminder that the fight for transparency, justice, and the protection of family rights must continue and that together, we are stronger.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended, spoke, and supported this important cause. Your voices are making a difference.

We have many more events lined up over the course of 2025 and we hope many more people who have been effected by forced adoption, other social services effects or would just like to support our course for a better future can attend.

Salford - 29th March 2025

Tears mixed with determination on the faces of parents and campaigners in Salford, as a powerful protest unfolded outside the BBC Studios. Organized by activist group The Masked Truth, the demonstration called attention to what they describe as a silent crisis, forced adoption tearing families apart behind closed doors.

Wearing symbolic white masks and holding placards that read “Stolen, Not Saved” and “Where Is the Justice?”, protesters shared raw, deeply personal stories of loss. Among them was Amy, a mother who says her child was taken by social services without fair process.

“They said I was too vulnerable to be a mother,” she said, her voice trembling. “But no one ever offered help. They just took my baby. I've been grieving every day since.”

The Masked Truth, a grassroots group made up of parents, whistle-blowers, and concerned citizens, has been steadily gaining momentum across the UK. Their mission is to expose what they say is a broken system, one that, instead of supporting families, too often removes children based on flawed assessments and red tape.

The Salford protest was one of many the group has organised, part of a growing national movement demanding transparency, legal reform, and an official acknowledgment of what campaigners argue are present day injustices echoing the UK’s dark history of forced adoption.

“People think this ended decades ago,” said Mark Jenkins, one of the organizers. “But it’s still happening. Vulnerable parents, especially young mums, people with disabilities, or those living in poverty, are being targeted. And no one’s talking about it.”

While local authorities declined to comment on the protest, the stories shared on the steps of the Civic Centre painted a grim picture: families left in the dark, court proceedings carried out in secrecy, and children growing up with no knowledge of the parents who fought to keep them.

“We’re not anti-adoption,” added Jenkins. “We’re anti-injustice. Every child deserves to be safe, and every parent deserves a fair chance before they’re torn apart.”

As the crowd dispersed, candles were lit and placed in a line outside the building, one for each child taken without what the protesters believe was due process. In the quiet that followed the chants and speeches, it was clear that the fight for change is far from over.
 

Telford - 1st March 2025

The wind was cold in Telford on 1st March, but the voices of those gathered outside the Civic Centre carried warmth, sorrow, and a fierce demand to be heard. Dozens stood in solidarity, many wearing the signature white masks of The Masked Truth, a growing movement shining a light on the traumatic reality of forced adoptions in the UK.

Each person there had a story. Each sign held heartbreak. Some simply read: “My child was taken.” Others bore dates, names, and tiny footprints. These were not just protests, they were public grief made visible.

Among those present was Emma, a mother whose daughter was taken into care just days after birth.

“She said I might not cope. They never gave me a chance,” she said quietly, clutching a photo of her baby girl. “I never even got to hold her properly. I dream about her every night.”

Organised by The Masked Truth, the protest in Telford was part of a wider campaign across the country calling for accountability, transparency, and above all, compassion. Campaigners argue that families are being broken apart by a system that punishes vulnerability rather than supports it.

“People think forced adoption is a thing of the past,” said Dan Brown, one of the group’s volunteers. “But it’s happening now, in courtrooms behind closed doors. We’re told it’s for the child’s best interests, but how can trauma and separation be what’s best?”

The group emphasizes they are not against adoption, but against injustice. Many at the protest were not just parents, but also former children of the care system themselves, returning to fight for those still caught in it.

Candles were lit during a moment of silence to remember the children who were taken, and the parents still waiting, hoping for reunion.

“This pain doesn’t fade,” said one father who stood quietly at the back. “My daughter turns 10 this year. She doesn’t even know I exist.”

So far, local authorities have offered no public statement regarding the protest. But for those who stood outside the Civic Centre that day, the message was clear: they will not be silenced.

“We’re not criminals. We’re parents. And we deserve to be heard.”

As dusk fell over Telford, the masked faces stood quietly, defiantly, telling the truth no one wants to admit.

Sunderland - 21st September 2024

The rain came down in sheets over Sunderland on 21st September, but it didn’t stop the crowd that gathered in Keel Square. Umbrellas and hooded jackets couldn’t hide the emotion etched into the faces of parents, grandparents, and supporters. They had come for one reason: to speak out against forced adoption.

The protest, organized by The Masked Truth, was joined by two growing family rights groups, Dads Matter and Families Against the State. Together, they stood united under one banner: justice for families torn apart.

“They said I was too emotional to keep my son,” said Michael, a father of two who attended with a photo of his youngest around his neck. “But what father wouldn’t be emotional when they take your child away and tell you you’re not enough?”

Throughout the afternoon, speakers from each group took turns addressing the crowd, sharing their lived experiences of what they call a broken child protection system. For many, the pain is fresh. For others, it’s been years, but the grief and anger haven’t faded.

“We’re treated like numbers, like problems to be managed,” said Millswills from Families Against the State. “But we’re mothers,     fathers, families. What we needed was help, not separation.”

The stories were hauntingly similar: families facing challenges, mental health issues, domestic abuse survivors, financial hardship, only to be met not with support, but with court dates and social workers who, they say, had already made up their minds.

Dads Matter, a group focused on paternal rights and family support, made their presence felt with signs that read: “Dads Have Rights Too” and “Loving a Child Is Not a Crime.”

“There’s a stigma around fathers in the system,” said Rob, one of the organisers. “Too many good dads are pushed out, unheard, or treated as disposable. Today we say no more.”

As the protest drew to a close, dozens of white balloons were released into the grey sky, each one marked with a child’s name or birthdate. Some people cried. Others stood silent, fists clenched.

“This isn’t just about our kids,” said Debbie from The Masked Truth. “It’s about the kind of country we want to be. One where families are punished for struggling, or one where they’re lifted up and helped to heal.”

Local media presence was minimal, but those who attended said that didn’t matter. “Even if no one hears us today,” Michael said, “our kids will know one day—we never stopped fighting.”

Manchester - 31st August 2024 

On the final day of August, a powerful chorus of voices rose in Manchester’s St. Peter’s Square, echoing off the stone walls of the Central Library and demanding to be heard. Families from across the UK gathered for a protest against forced adoption, an event led by Families Against the State in collaboration with The Masked Truth.

They came with photographs, banners, and broken hearts. Each step toward the square was a step powered by grief, love, and the fire of injustice.

“I never abandoned my child,” said Rachel*, standing quietly beside a hand-painted sign that read ‘Stolen by the System’. “I begged for help—and instead they took her.”

The protest brought together survivors of forced adoption, parents currently fighting to reunite with their children, and supporters who believe the UK’s child protection system needs urgent reform. Many wore white masks, symbolic of the voicelessness parents often feel in family court proceedings held behind closed doors.

Families Against the State, who organised the event, amplified the voices of those who say they’ve been let down by the very institutions meant to protect them.

“This isn’t about bad parenting,” said group member Jason, who lost his son in a closed court ruling three years ago. “It’s about families being judged for being poor, for having mental health struggles, for asking for support. We’re punished for being human.”

Speakers throughout the afternoon shared harrowing stories of babies taken from hospital cribs, of court decisions made in hours that changed lives forever, and of the mental toll this trauma leaves behind.

“I’ve written letters to my daughter every birthday,” said one mother during an open mic segment. “She doesn’t know me now. But one day, when she’s old enough to search, I want her to know: I never gave up on her.”

Signs in the crowd read: “Support, Not Separation”, “Love Shouldn't Be a Liability”, and “Reform the System—Restore the Families.”

As the protest ended, the crowd joined hands for a moment of silence. A child’s voice—a recording—rang out over the speakers: “I miss my mummy.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the square.

The Manchester protest marked another step in a growing national movement demanding not just reform, but recognition: that families torn apart without true necessity deserve to be seen, heard, and restored.

“We are still their parents,” Rachel whispered. “And we always will be.”