Jacknicko
I would never even imply similarity between the British Army and the morons who perpetuate violence in society in the name of religion and force ordinary people to live in fear of their lives. . .I too have sympathy for the marchers who, I feel, represented the majority of people in NI who only wanted the right to be treated as equal in their own country. Yes, perhaps they should have obeyed the law and not held the march. However, working on that principle, where would black civil rights in the US be. It wasn't law abiding citizens who brought about the fall of apartheid in South Africa, nor was it the gun wielding maniacs who hijacked the black cause for their own gains. It was the structured and reasoned arguments that were presented by those who really wanted change. I don't recall Archbishop Tutu being branded a terrorist when he participated in banned marches.
Muff coupling - as you say, reputation is a different matter. The question remains, was that reputation used as a psychological weapon to provoke a response from the hooligan element. If so, then the para's were as much victims of a poorly thought out government policy as the marchers.