Michael McKevitt Bernadette Sands McKevitt, a sister of 1981 PIRA hunger striker and MP, Bobby Sands, who died during his hunger strike. Sands McKevitt was a leading member of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and had been described in media reports as the third highest ranking Real IRA officer. She left the 32 County Sovereignty Movement following the imprisonment of her husband. Michael McKevitt Michael McKevitt (born 4 September 1949) is an Irish republican who was convicted of directing terrorism as the leader of the paramilitary organisation, the Real IRA. McKevitt, a native of County Louth, joined the Provisional IRA during the
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