HSBC shareholder meeting disrupted by climate crisis protests

Turbulent AGM also awaits vote on resolution to break up bank by spinning off Asian operations

HSBC has become the latest FTSE 100 company to face disruption of its annual shareholder meeting by climate protesters – including some singing reworded versions of Y.M.C.A. by Village People and A Message to You, Rudy by the Specials – as the bank awaited the results of a vote to break up the bank backed by its largest shareholder.

Several protesters interrupted the meeting after 12 minutes, beginning an hour of disruption in which the bank’s chair, Mark Tucker, and chief executive, Noel Quinn, repeatedly stopped speaking until the bank’s security removed the campaigners.