BOSTON -- A group of Boston community activists are protesting what they claim is a discriminatory move to lock up condoms in a Dorchester CVS pharmacy.

The delegation of Boston civil rights leaders, health advocates and community members claims the Rhode Island-based pharmacy chain has a practice of locking up condoms at the CVS pharmacy on 778 Dudley St. and in other communities of color all over the country.

The delegation planned to present the store manager with hundreds of Valentine’s Day cards with messages from CVS shoppers on Thursday asking the store to stop locking up condoms. Similar protests were planned in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York.

The practice is especially harmful to younger people, who may be intimidated by the lock-up, said protest organizer Kate Titus.

“We would like to impress the need to make a permanent policy that’s company-wide of not locking up condoms,” she said. “Walgreens and Rite Aid have no problems selling condoms in the same neighborhood.”

CVS locks condoms in stores where condoms have been heavily shoplifted, CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelis said in a prepared statement.

“Decisions to do this are based on the theft experience of the store, not the specific location of that store,” he said.