Last night, a flotilla of boats belonging to Cuban exile activists stationed themselves just outside Cuba's territorial waters and set off a fireworks display that was visible in Havana. The protest act was done to show solidarity with Cuba's growing opposition movement and human rights activists and commemorate International Human Rights Day, which is today.

A report in the AP by its Cuba-based journalists reports that the fireworks were visible in Havana, but disingenuously states the protest "drew few spectators." No mention is made whatsoever by the AP writers that the Castro dictatorship had closed off a 5-kilometer stretch of El Malecon, the seaside boulevard where the fireworks would be most visible, to prevent Cubans from congregating and viewing the display.

Interestingly enough, the same AP journalists reported that a mob of thugs stationed by the Castro dictatorship to patrol El Malecon attacked their reporters and cameramen. The mob demanded that the AP news crew turnover their video camera and when they resisted, the band of Castro thugs attacked, punching one cameraman in the face and spraining the thumb of another AP employee. The crew eventually managed to escape the unprovoked attacked bloodied and with one camera smashed.

Pictures of the fireworks as seen from Havana:

A video of the fireworks as seen from Havana:

The Miami Herald has a slideshow from the flotilla that you can view HERE.