Police murder of Iñigo Cabacas: witness declaration

One of the main witnesses of the killing of Iñigo Cabacas a week ago in Bilbao was interviewed in Info7 radio. You can listen to the original podcast (in Spanish) at this link:

Info7: Ziortza Ruiz: "Iñigo cayó al suelo delante mío". 

However for all those readers who don't understand this language, I worked out a translated transcript of some 95% of the interview, skipping just the less relevant commentaries like the intro or farewell. Translator notes at the end.

Translated transcript:

Ziortza: We were near the 'Herriko'^[1], at the nearby tavern. I must explain that there was an external bar there with a small cover and we were there having some drinks. And suddenly I looked towards the road and I saw many vans coming and how many ertzainak^[2] rushed out of them.

And, well, right away people began whistling, telling them to go away, that nothing happened, that all was quiet... And right away they began shooting 'balls'^[3]. I squatted, hiding behind this external bar I mentioned, and just before me there were some guys hands up asking for calm and peace and yelling to the policemen to calm down, that nothing happened. Once and again crying: 'lasai, lasai, lasai'^[4].

And suddenly the guy I had before me fell down, fell down to the floor.

And, well, since that moment, all the people around got hands on their heads in awe, began asking for help, asking for aid to those around them. That was when I approached, saw what happened, raised my hands and, without a second thought, I went towards them, towards the vans, towards the road, asking for an ambulance, crying: "an ambulance, please!", "who's in command?, who's in command?"

One of them approached me, not sure if he was the commander or not. He asked me what was going on? I told him that they had very seriously injured a guy over there, that he was very bad, that he was bleeding from the head, that, please, let them call an ambulance. All, well, yelling... He asked me: "where?, where?, where?" I replied: "it's clear where: where that group is attending the guy".

And well, I pointed him where it was and, right away, in a very violent manner, they began hushing away all the people who were assisting this guy, Iñigo, with their batons. And I stayed there with the telephone trying to get an ambulance, just besides the vans, until one came to me and told me in a very provocative way whether I was "the lost girlfriend" or what, what was I doing there... Then he beat me with his baton until I moved away.

And I'd like to emphasize that since that moment the obsession, the only goal of these was that nobody looked at where Iñigo was lying, that nobody could see the injured man.

...

Interviewer: Then again there is a question: among the arguments issued by the Ertzaintza^[2], they claim that, as soon as they arrived, supposedly because there was a fight, someone injured (it is strange that no ambulance arrived if that's the case), that they were attacked with bottle throwing and such. I don't know, how did you see it? Did they charge right away or what?

Ziortza: Exactly. There was a great ambient, impressive! I must note that when we arrived at the place, at the crossroads there was already a van stopped. It surprised us somewhat but they said it was a high risk match... But in any case a van was already there half an hour, a whole hour earlier - not sure.

When I and my friends arrived we saw nothing other than good ambient and people calm. And suddenly those other vans arrived, they came down, coming towards us, and in a matter of seconds they began charging. It is true that cries of "calm down", "nothing happens"... but nothing else. They began charging right after arrival.

...

Interviewer: I imagine it'd be hard, because this has been told by other people, go to ask for aid and be received with beatings.

Ziortzia: Exactly. I do not know how I dared... it was very hard. But then when approaching, the nerves, whatever... you lose fear... they treat you the way they do... they welcome you with a beating, you ask them for an ambulance, please assistance... Get them to realized what they had done and, well... the comments I told you before: sexist, provoking, bah...

Interviewer: All you who were witnesses of what happened, of the killing of Iñigo Cabacas because of that rubber bullet, listening to the official version, the version that the Ertzaintza gives of what happened, should cause you quite a bit of anger, right?

Ziortzia: Outraging! And the silence of the media, that they have tried to dress it up, that extensible batons... please! We all knew perfectly that it was a rubber bullet since the very beginning... and this can't be silenced... and people must denounce it. And please that this is clarified and not be left unpunished.

___________________________________________

Translator's notes:

[1] Herriko Taberna: People's Tavern, social center and bar linked to the Basque Nationalist Left. Notice that, contrary to first informations, the victim was not at 'the Herriko' but at another bar.
[2] Ertzaina, plural ertzainak: (western) Basque police agent. The corps is known as Ertzaintza.
[3] Pelotas (balls): rubber bullets (Spanish: pelotas de goma, almost an euphemism for such a deadly ammunition).

[4] Lasai: Basque for 'calm', 'quiet', 'tranquil'

Related news:

Hundreds gather for the funeral of Iñigo Cabacas ··> Gara[es].
Solidarity from Hamburg ··> Sare Antifaxista[es].