Firm stands by disputed 7,627 figure for march
The company hired by the Central Policy Unit to count the number of protesters in Sunday's march against Beijing's interpretation of the Basic Law yesterday admitted that it had no prior experience in tallying crowds for outdoor activities.
Mercado Solutions Associates said it had informed the CPU about its lack of such experience when invited to carry out the task. But it declined to say when it had been approached.
Tommy Leung Chi-yan, executive director of the marketing consultancy firm in North Point, also defended the methodology used to count the protesters amid criticisms by academics and polling experts on the survey's accuracy.
Mr Leung said the firm considered options and believed it was the 'most suitable' one. 'We suggested this methodology to the CPU and it was approved,' he said.
Although the company had not counted outdoor crowds, it had tallied indoor ones, such as in those in shopping malls, and the same techniques applied, he said.
The government on Wednesday night disclosed the company's name after repeatedly refusing to do so after announcing the previous day that a 'professional research organisation' concluded that 7,627 people joined the protest.
