Why were the hunger strikers in prison in the first place?

Question

During the 1980's, hunger strikers developed in Ireland, but why were they in prison, and why were they refusimg to eat?

WHAT did they hope to accomplish?

Answer 1

Bobby Sands, then leader of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the Maze Prison, refused food on 1 March 1981 and so began a new hunger strike. The choice of the date was significant because it marked the fifth anniversary of the ending of special category status (1 March 1976). The main aim of the new strike was to achieve the reintroduction of 'political' status for Republican prisoners. Special category, or 'political', status would be achieved if five demands were met: the right of prisoners to wear their civilian clothes at all times; the right to free association within a block of cells; the right not to do prison work; the right to educational and recreational facilities; and the restoration of lost remission of sentence. It later became clear that the IRA leadership outside the prison was not in favour of a new hunger strike following the outcome of the 1980 strike. The main impetus for a new protest came from the prisoners themselves. The strike was to last until 3 October 1981 and was to see 10 Republican prisoners starve themselves to death in support of their demands. http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/hstrike/beresford.htm


"'Ten Men Dead' by David Beresford is an amazing book about this very chapter in Irish history. The story is also available on DVD, under the title "Some Mother's Son "
http://imdb.com/title/tt0117690/maindetails


http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/hstrike/beresford.htm

Answer 2

I don't know if any had actually killed anyone, but at least some of them were gun-runners. They were protesting the removal of special status. Previously they had been excused from performing menial prison chores, wearing prison uniforms, etc.

The Labour government took these rights away, saying they were common criminals and should not be treated any differently. The dirty protests (smearing feces on their walls) and the blanket protests (refusing the wear prison clothes) followed by the hunger strikes were to force the government to reinstate these rights. The strike was ended without these rights having been restored, but I think eventually the special status may have eventually been restored.

Personally I don't know why they deserved to be treated differently. They weren't in prison for their views, but had broken the law.

Answer 3

They were mostly captured members of the Irish Republican Army, put into prison by the British for various acts of what the British would call terrorism, and what they would call a war for independence. They were trying to gain independence for Northern Ireland.

Answer 4

Go to larkspirit.com/hungerstrikes for Irish Republican version of events

Answer 5

Peaceful demonstrations. They use them to show their loyalty to their belief. Nothing much else comes from it, though.

Answer 6

They were protesting the bad food that was being served.

Answer 7

to bring attenyion to mediA