Jack Karlson, The Man Behind 'Democracy Manifest' Meme, Dies At 82

Jack Karlson became popular in 2009 when a 1991 news tape of his arrest at a Chinese restaurant in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley was posted online.

Jack Karlson, famed for the classic "democracy manifest" and "succulent Chinese meal" clip, died on August 7, aged 82. In a statement, Karlson's family confirmed his death, saying he had prostate cancer.

"He walked a full and colourful path and despite the troubles thrown at him, he lived by his motto - to keep on laughing," they said in a statement.

Karlson had been in the hospital for the past three weeks, trying to break free several times, according to his niece Kim Edwards, who told The Independent that, "he asked us many times to sneak in his pipe."