Austria: Police Attack On US Man Brings Up Racism

About 545,000 of the country's population of 8.3 million are foreigners other than EU nationals and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Of those, the majority — 292,730 — are from nations of the former Yugoslavia. Some 110,678 are from Turkey, 59,538 from Asia and 21,460 from Africa.

Brennan stresses he is not against the police or Austrians in general, adding that perfect strangers have come up to him to wish him well.

And experts acknowledge that mistakes happen.

"But what counts is how authorities deal with them," said Wolfgang Zimmer, an official at ZARA, an Austrian anti-racism group that logged 704 racist incidents last year alone from victims and others contacting the organization.

To Brennan's supporters, many of whom recently gathered for a benefit concert to help him pay his lawyer fees, it's about making amends and giving a voice to other victims.

"It's a matter of dignity," said Albert Frantz, a 34-year-old pianist. "Mike's case is part of something larger — he's one of many."

Patrick Bongola, a musician who grew up in Kinshasa, now the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said racism was part of everyday life.