Youth Activists of Alameda (YAOA) organized a reproductive rights car march and protest on Sunday, July 10. About 120 young Alamedans participated, holding signs and wearing shirts and stickers, all bearing slogans supporting abortion and reproductive rights. The participants were urged to wear green to show their support during the protest. Protesters began at noon at the corner of Shoreline Drive and Willow Street, made their way along the beach and turned on Park Street, continuing to Santa Clara Avenue, where they stopped for speeches in front of Alameda’s City Hall.

During their protest, YAOA made the following requests of Alameda’s City Council:
- Declare a proclamation to make Alameda a sanctuary city for those who seek abortions are safe from prosecution
- Create a reproductive health facility in the city of Alameda which would eliminate the need to commute for such resources
- Donate an appropriate amount of money to a local/national reproductive rights organization
- Facilitate the creation of and Alameda County reproductive rights coalition with qualified community members, organizations, and public health officials
Their webpage links to a statement that says “We condemn the Supreme Court Decision overturning Roe v. Wade. This appalling act has affected all people across the United States and we as a social justice organization plan to fight for the rights of everyone. All people should be able to have access to the necessary medical care which best fits their needs regardless of their personal situation. The Youth Activists of Alameda has a commitment to supporting reproductive rights at the local, state, and federal level and ensures to advocate on behalf of those voices who are silenced.”
“We believe that [the march] went very well,” said YAOA co-founder, Vinny Camarillo in a statement on Instagram. “We had many organizations there, including Planned Parenthood, that helped amplify our demands to city council. Of course we had the negative comments here and there during the march but we had no problems and support was amazing! We will continue to work hard [for] reproductive rights in the city of Alameda.”
YAOA is a youth-led organization that strives for social justice in Alameda, starting with racial inequality and police reform. Find them on the web, Facebook, and Instagram.
This content was produced by the students at Encinal High School, horizonnews.wixsite.com/horizon.