Youth Defence: The Only Thing Worse Than Being Talked About

I commented earlier on the difficulty of differentiating between those of @YouthDefence's followers who approved of the organisation's aims, and those whose morbid sense of curiosity compels them to see what bizarre utterances they'll next belch on to Twitter.

I said it would be tricky, most likely involving trawling through all posts by all followers, and not a task to which I warmed.

Still, there seems to be some appetite for material of this sort so I offer you an alternative. I searched Twitter for mentions of either "Youth Defence" or youthdefence, categorised them as either in favour, against, or unknown and did another pretty chart. Note - tweeting about Youth Defence does not mean the person necessarily follows @YouthDefence. The source data is below; and bar the observation that their claims to be "the voice of the majority" seems even less credible I leave the commentary to other bloggers. It's sunny outside.

Tweet	Attitude	Location
"My electorate are most certainly anti-abortion" says Labour Senator: The Sunday Business Post has... http://t.co/G5vwSMDM #prolife #plp	Pro Youth Defence	Everywhere
#prolifers:There's Viva la Vida bootcamp by @YouthDefence in Dublin.Any possibility to bring this over or have something similar in London?	Pro Youth Defence	England
@YouthDefence Don't get too complacent on Labour. Watch for the subtle marketing to women in media, telling them they need a get out option	Pro Youth Defence	Ireland
@YouthDefence Y.D. Keep up the great work... Need more events in all towns in Ireland.. Unlock media brainwashed minds #prolife	Pro Youth Defence
BREAKING NEWS! Monaghan Country Council has passed a motion opposing abortion. Monaghan Abú! Click 'like' if... http://t.co/NN2ki28q	Pro Youth Defence	Ireland
Only 10 letters complaining about Youth Defence posters - no public outcry just from huge pro-abortion support base! http://t.co/RG1VTK2y …	Pro Youth Defence	Ireland
RT @prolifeplanet: "My electorate are most certainly anti-abortion" says Labour Senator: The Sunday Business Post has... http://t.co/G5v ...	Pro Youth Defence	Cascade Locks, Oregon
RT @prolifeplanet: BREAKING: Monaghan Co Council passes motion opposing abortion by unanimous vote: Monaghan County C... http://t.co/wt4 ...	Pro Youth Defence
RT @prolifeplanet: BREAKING: Monaghan Co Council passes motion opposing abortion by unanimous vote: Monaghan County C... http://t.co/wt4 ...	Pro Youth Defence	USA, Europe and Worldwide
RT @prolifeplanet: BREAKING: Monaghan Co Council passes motion opposing abortion by unanimous vote: Monaghan County C... http://t.co/wt4 ...	Pro Youth Defence	worcester ma
RT @YouthDefence: On the YD blog, Tadhg asks the abortion campaigners questions they don't want to answer. Read it, like, it,... http: ...	Pro Youth Defence	CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON, NY
@Ceit_smr Not to me. Always seems we're "pro-life" only until we're born. Then we're on our own. #YouthDefence	Unknown	County Wexford, Ireland
@Krank_IE That must make Youth Defence the largest organised group on Irish Twitter?Probably supports the view that T is not representative	Unknown	Dublin, Ireland
@lileeny they never replaced Glenroe! Anyway Mayo... youth defence, legion of Mary, union of Knock housekeepers, Enda Kenny illuminati...	Unknown	Cork, Ireland
@stevenrafleming I just listened to it there Steve. I presume the bit you're not happy with is the reference to youth defence?	Unknown	Tullamore/Maynooth-Ireland
I didn't even know Youth Defence had a twitter account until I saw that blog post listing all its followers (with @ names partially *d out..	Unknown	Dublin, Ireland
If you believe that you can shut down Youth Defence i admire your naiveness	Unknown	Dublin
Loving the fact that @DRUMorDIE tweets me anytime he finds something about Youth Defence. The rant lives on...	Unknown	Waterford, Ireland.
This 404 is brilliant: http://t.co/kcKYuidf	Unknown	Northampton, UK
#HowToPissOffAFemale "Hi, we're from Youth Defence..." #sadface	Anti Youth Defence
*SURPRISE* MT "@AnnraoiOD: Mick Quinn of DRMIreland has been an active member of @YouthDefence since 2000. http://t.co/tLQU3bUP "	Anti Youth Defence	On an Island called Ireland
@crmagahy @AnnraoiOD @YouthDefence How appalling that he is filling young peoples' heads with that sort of hateful shit	Anti Youth Defence	Kelso, Scotland
@etienneshrdlu Good adivce for logo designers: Make sure it doesn't look like a swastika or a penis. (Unless it's for BNP or Youth Defence)	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
@geoffsshorts @CardinalBrady @DavQuim Haha, Youth Defence fell out with me after I published this study for them: http://t.co/3z5S8Fgr	Anti Youth Defence	Donegal
@NeilMooney @geoffsshorts Id imagine loads disagree, in Ireland you could track that by seeing who follows unlike youth defence	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin.
@sleighsmiths http://t.co/UF00THW7	Anti Youth Defence	This is under 30 characters
@YouthDefence A bald man with a mustache and a wearing a sailers hat got me verrry drunk. I think he hid a baby up my bum! What will I do?	Anti Youth Defence
@YouthDefence I have been banned from your page on FB I would like an explanation I posted nothing malicious or otherwise	Anti Youth Defence
Anti-choice group in Ireland - Youth Defence - has links with white nationalist who called Breivik too moderate http://t.co/l3mzwhA8	Anti Youth Defence
Being blocked by Youth Defence is a badge I am proud to wear!	Anti Youth Defence	Ireland.
Contrary to what @YouthDefence and pro-lifers might say, Ireland is NOT the safest place to have a baby #seizethedebate http://t.co/kcQCJ8r7	Anti Youth Defence	Ireland
fuck youth defence, and the fact they think they speak for a majority of irish people http://t.co/kmbDb65c	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
Geoff's Shorts: Youth Defence: Who Follows The Followers? http://t.co/8ZKziGGj	Anti Youth Defence	Ohio, U.S.
Geoff's Shorts: Youth Defence: Who Follows The Followers? http://t.co/lYngMo4F	Anti Youth Defence	Yorkshire
Got invited to a group whose name started with 'Unlike Youth Defence.' Immediate thought was why would I have liked them in the first place?	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
http://t.co/N1ZLXcFH http://t.co/JwGqy3mL	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
I ran stats on Youth Defence's twitter followers. 14% Irish, 59% USA / Canada. Not surprised. http://t.co/dm3Da7xc	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin, Ireland
I should really stop reading the comments on the Youth Defence FB page #bloodboiling	Anti Youth Defence
Interesting, if unsurprising, that so many anon prolife twitter accs are appearing of late... Youth Defence idiocy me thinks #prochoice	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
Ireland 10th in Web Index,Youth Defence Twit list exposed as US majority & Twilight gets the Bad Lip Reading treatment http://t.co/A91BXWtn	Anti Youth Defence	Ireland
Mwahaha. Irish majority my foot. http://t.co/F3BMd8aJ (and part 2) http://t.co/MM0dMk2E #seizethedebate	Anti Youth Defence	Luxembourg
Nice work by @geoffsshorts on where exactly Youth Defence's Twitter followers are from: http://t.co/3AiALHzs Voice of the majority me hole.	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
prochoiceireland: So who REALLY follows Youth Defence?Geoff Lillis has done some detective work and discovere… http://t.co/GGnZTWUq	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin, Ireland
RT @AnnraoiOD: @Clonrf @crmagahy Mick (@DRMIreland) Quinn is a member of @YouthDefence. http://t.co/1SPO3h4A http://t.co/PyO4S8Tr	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin. Ireland
RT @AnnraoiOD: @Clonrf @crmagahy Mick (@DRMIreland) Quinn is a member of @YouthDefence. http://t.co/1SPO3h4A http://t.co/PyO4S8Tr	Anti Youth Defence	Cork
RT @AnnraoiOD: Racist Mick Quinn (@DRMIreland) has been an active member of @YouthDefence since 2000. http://t.co/1SPO3h4A http://t.co/P ...	Anti Youth Defence	Western Edge of Europe
RT @conorsthoughts: Contrary to what @YouthDefence and pro-lifers might say, Ireland is NOT the safest place to have a baby #seizethedeb ...	Anti Youth Defence	still waiting 20 years later
RT @conorsthoughts: Contrary to what @YouthDefence and pro-lifers might say, Ireland is NOT the safest place to have a baby #seizethedeb ...	Anti Youth Defence	Cork
RT @conorsthoughts: Contrary to what @YouthDefence and pro-lifers might say, Ireland is NOT the safest place to have a baby #seizethedeb ...	Anti Youth Defence	Ireland
RT @conorsthoughts: Contrary to what @YouthDefence and pro-lifers might say, Ireland is NOT the safest place to have a baby #seizethedeb ...	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
RT @conorsthoughts: Contrary to what @YouthDefence and pro-lifers might say, Ireland is NOT the safest place to have a baby #seizethedeb ...	Anti Youth Defence	Cork
RT @darraghdoyle: The more I read about Youth Defence and what they do, the less I understand them or the reason for them http://t.co/jh ...	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
RT @darraghdoyle: The more I read about Youth Defence and what they do, the less I understand them or the reason for them http://t.co/jh ...	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin, Ireland
RT @darraghdoyle: The more I read about Youth Defence and what they do, the less I understand them or the reason for them http://t.co/jh ...	Anti Youth Defence	Dundalk, Ireland
RT @DUGESociety: Youth Defence's followers by where they come from: http://t.co/uBXiSSA0 #seizethedebate	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
RT @flyingteacosy: prochoiceireland: So who REALLY follows Youth Defence?Geoff Lillis has done some detective work and discovere… http:/ ...	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin, Ireland
RT @geoffsshorts: @NeilMooney @wearerabble I did an update on followers who likely don't agree with Youth Defence here: http://t.co/2g10Wcrg	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
RT @geoffsshorts: I ran stats on Youth Defence's twitter followers. 14% Irish, 59% USA / Canada. Not surprised. http://t.co/dm3Da7xc	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin, Ireland
RT @jonanamary: Anti-choice group in Ireland - Youth Defence - has links with white nationalist who called Breivik too moderate http://t ...	Anti Youth Defence	London
RT @jonanamary: Anti-choice group in Ireland - Youth Defence - has links with white nationalist who called Breivik too moderate http://t ...	Anti Youth Defence	Glasgow, Scotland
RT @Krank_IE: Ireland 10th in Web Index,Youth Defence Twit list exposed as US majority & Twilight gets the Bad Lip Reading treatment ...	Anti Youth Defence	Ballina, Tipperary, Ireland
RT @Krank_IE: Ireland 10th in Web Index,Youth Defence Twit list exposed as US majority & Twilight gets the Bad Lip Reading treatment ...	Anti Youth Defence	A Fortified Location, Leinster
RT @redlemonader: Nice work by @geoffsshorts on where exactly Youth Defence's Twitter followers are from: http://t.co/3AiALHzs Voice of ...	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin
RT @redlemonader: Nice work by @geoffsshorts on where exactly Youth Defence's Twitter followers are from: http://t.co/3AiALHzs Voice of ...	Anti Youth Defence	Dun Laoghaire
RT @redlemonader: Nice work by @geoffsshorts on where exactly Youth Defence's Twitter followers are from: http://t.co/3AiALHzs Voice of ...	Anti Youth Defence	Belfast, Northern Ireland
RT @redlemonader: Nice work by @geoffsshorts on where exactly Youth Defence's Twitter followers are from: http://t.co/3AiALHzs Voice of ...	Anti Youth Defence
RT @redlemonader: Nice work by @geoffsshorts on where exactly Youth Defence's Twitter followers are from: http://t.co/3AiALHzs Voice of ...	Anti Youth Defence
RT @YouthDefence: Protect mother and baby! >> ...by ensuring Irish abortions only happen in England	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin, Ireland
The Akin Diet http://t.co/5Uenkmmb via @broadsheet_ie #youth_defence #prc_tweets	Anti Youth Defence	T\u00edr na bPuls\u00e1ir
The more I read about Youth Defence and what they do, the less I understand them or the reason for them http://t.co/jh2hmTSd	Anti Youth Defence	Ireland
there is a youth defence billboard up in westport now	Anti Youth Defence	ireland hunni
There's also some alarming details in there about where Irish anti-choice group Youth Defence is getting its support http://t.co/yUoIP1Ht	Anti Youth Defence	London
They are now talking about the offensive @YouthDefence anti-abortion advertising campaign that has been all over the city.	Anti Youth Defence	DUBLIN
To the man giving out Youth Defence flyers outside the GPO; Would ya ever fuck off!	Anti Youth Defence	Ireland
Yet to see the promised third round of the disgraceful Youth Defence ad campaign	Anti Youth Defence	Usually Dublin/Kildare/Antrim
Youth Defence made me Pro-Choice, thanks YD.	Anti Youth Defence	Dublin via Dundalk, Ireland
Youth Defence: Who Follows The Followers? http://t.co/AkxkNqMG	Anti Youth Defence	derry, northern ireland
Youth Defence's followers by where they come from: http://t.co/uBXiSSA0 #seizethedebate	Anti Youth Defence