1981 Irish hunger strike showdown between the prisoners and the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. One hunger striker, Bobby Sands, was elected as a Member of Parliament during the strike, prompting media interest from around the world. The strike was called off after ten prisoners had starved themselves to death—including Sands, whose funeral was attended by 100,000 people. The strike radicalised Irish nationalist politics, and was the driving force that enabled Sinn Féin to become a mainstream political party. There had been hunger strikes by Irish republican prisoners since 1917, and twelve had previously died on hunger strike, including Thomas Ashe, Terence MacSwiney, Seán
Hunger Strike! Inc. Hunger Strike! Inc. Hunger Strike! Inc. was a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provided medical, health, education, and financial services. It commenced operations in 1988 as a group that fed and clothed the homeless in the Washington, D.C. area. In 1990, it was formally incorporated. The operations later expanded to Maryland, Virginia, and Florida. In 1993, the organization began offering free physical assessments and free seminars on "Health, Nutrition, and Natural Remedies". These seminars were conducted in the United States, India, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Denmark. Invitations were extended from Romania and Pakistan. In India and Sri Lanka, Hunger Strike!