It seems that the world has given us another chapter in the ongoing saga of “What Not to Do When Confronted by Law Enforcement.” Enter Alex Prey, who unfortunately confused the concept of peaceful protesting with an extreme sport. His latest adventure involved attempting to tango with federal agents— and judging by the injuries he sustained, that dance didn’t go as planned. It’s now rumored that he broke a rib while getting tackled during a protest, leaving many to wonder if he thought, perhaps, that a high-impact sport was a perfect way to make a point.

Now, let’s think about this for a moment. Breaking a rib during a protest should probably raise a red flag, or maybe even a neon sign that says, “Hey buddy, maybe it’s time to reconsider your life choices.” It’s one thing to stand up for what you believe in, but it’s quite another to be on the receiving end of a five-agent tackle. If that were me, I’d be re-evaluating my life plan over a nice bowl of ice cream, not gearing up for round two just a week later. But alas, here we are, wondering if he had a flair for the dramatic or just a really poor sense of timing.

The irony here is that many people slam federal agents for overreach, calling them all sorts of names. But if five of them needed to sit Alex down for a chat on the ground because he was disrupting traffic—or whatever it was he was doing—then perhaps he wasn’t exactly holding a “peaceful conversation” with a lot of folks. It’s like running into a bull with a red cape and being shocked when it charges. You can’t wave the flag and not expect the bull to take some interest.

Furthermore, this isn’t just some dude casually debating with lawmakers. This was a man engaged in activities that apparently warranted the attention of federal agents. He was known to law enforcement prior to his unfortunate encounter with them, which raises yet another question: Did he think this was all part of some misguided version of law and order? Or did he believe his sheer willpower could flummox law enforcement? Spoiler alert: it didn’t work out.

But let’s not get too derailed by one person’s questionable choices. The broader context here is the notion of protesting today. It seems that a lot of individuals have adopted this idea that raising a ruckus means you’re somehow making a difference. However, there’s a fine line between protesting and rioting. When your peaceful protest turns into a broken rib bonanza, chances are you’ve crossed that line and maybe, just maybe, need a little more reflection—or perhaps a few less dramatic stunts.

In an age where everyone craves attention, it’s clear some folks are willing to risk it all, even if it means facing off against federal agents. It’s a strange world when chaos becomes the currency of activism, but let’s just hope the next chapter doesn’t involve more broken ribs—because really, there are better ways to get attention than a wrestling match with law enforcement. Maybe, just maybe, we should promote less tackling and more talking.