Roots, Chris (27 April 2023). "Succulent Chinese deal: Democracy Manifest owner wants to meet viral star". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 17 May 2023. The raw footage was missing Reason's voice-over explaining who the man was, or what the incident was about, and internet speculation attempted to resolve the mystery. Theories about the man's identity centered on Paul Charles Dozsa, a Hungarian chess player and notorious dine and dasher, [7] [8] [9] [10] but there were also serious doubts about this theory. Observers asked why the arrest was filmed from so many angles, why it was filmed at all and why the allegedly-Hungarian man did not sound Hungarian. Friends, family and acquaintances of Dozsa also stated that the man in the video was not Dozsa. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] Other theories included that the man was politician John Bartlett, the video was a skit from an unidentified television show, or that the man was a real dine and dasher named Gregory John Ziegler. [16] He welcomed Karlson into his cell. The two men bonded over making foul-tasting alcohol in the cell's washbasin from raisins and yeast, and shared histories. Tan, Michael (2 December 2019). "Democracy Manifest with Symphony Orchestra" . Retrieved 23 March 2020– via YouTube.

a b " "This is democracy manifest!" - 7NEWS meets the man behind the "succulent Chinese meal" meme". YouTube. 23 May 2021 . Retrieved 7 July 2021. Surrounded by police, the man is amazed at being arrested, exclaiming: "Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest!" He was as calm as anything," former police detective Adam Firman says of the moment he arrested Karlson in the restaurant.

Wenger, Charles (8 November 2019). "The Succulent Enigma of Paul Dozsa". Level Up Chess . Retrieved 20 March 2020. Leedham, Nicole (4 May 1995). "Thief served up his just deserts". The Canberra Times. p.1 . Retrieved 23 March 2020. The video shows an unnamed man being escorted by police out of a Chinese restaurant into a waiting police car. He is clearly agitated by this situation, and when told he is being placed under arrest he exclaims, "I am under what?" As police try to wrestle him into the car, the man says, "Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest." As the scuffle continues, he shouts, "Get your hand off my penis!" and then asks, "What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?" As the police struggle to contain the man, he states, "Ah, yes. I see that you know your judo well." He is then forced into the car, feet-first, while asking someone inside the vehicle, "And you, sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?", and bidding bystanders " ta ta and farewell".

Perrie, Stewart (5 March 2020). "Aussie Band The Chats Team Up With The 'Democracy Manifest' Bloke For New Music Video". LAD Bible . Retrieved 20 March 2020.The Brisbane police who arrested him that day didn't know that Karlson had been a criminal and a serial prison escapee. He was also a part-time actor. Tyler Jenke (16 June 2019). "A succulent Australian mystery: Just who is the bloke in this iconic video?". The Brag . Retrieved 19 March 2020.

Mac Miller (30 December 2015). "Run On Sentences, Volume Two". 2:48 . Retrieved 9 April 2021– via SoundCloud.Taylor, Belle (28 July 2023). "The wild true story of the prison escapee who just wanted a succulent Chinese meal". PerthNow . Retrieved 4 August 2023. Sentenced to eight years in Parramatta Gaol, Karlson was put in an unusually large cell with an inmate named Jim McNeil.