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
2010 Mapuche hunger strike cases surrounding theft, destruction of land, and arson. A major inspiration that also sparked the idea of initiating a hunger strike was Patricia Troncoso. She along with other Mapuche activists had been convicted with arson in 2002, when a fire had caused mass destruction of a several acres of pine. Troncoso along with the other activists had started a 111-day hunger strike in 2007. The ill treatment of Mapuche people had been a breaking point for the activists and had inspired a request of 20 Mapuche activists who were in a likewise position, to be released from imprisonment. Also for