By general public, I mean Bajorans (who did want them around) and Cardassians (who didn't). It's easy to forget Cardassian civilians were living on Bajor. So were they innocent victims of the Resistance? That particular episode left it open to interpretation.
The evidence seems to suggest that even at their peak Cardassians were only a small minority of the Bajoran planetary population (millions, versus billions).
It also doesn't speak to Christopher's point: the Bajoran Resistance survived only because very large numbers of Bajorans were willing to cover for them. DS9 featured at least one instance when Resistance fighters were betrayed by a single person--Opaka, anyone? If Bajorans had been willing to tolerate their Cardassian protectorate, then the Resistance wouldn't have lasted.
Section 31 just isn't in a comparable position.