Yeah. I have no idea what the intent of the flotilla people specifically was, but laying bare the brutal nature of something that was masquerading as something "civilized" or "defensive" or something is often a huge purpose behind things like that.

It is why unarmed and overtly undeniably peaceful efforts are often a lot more successful ways of taking down a brutal regime than trying to fight them force for force (at which contest they will obviously win.) No person and no government can survive without support, and every time they show their true face they lose support which is very hard for them to ever win back.