The chairman and chief executive of HSBC ordered several climate change protesters to be removed from the bank’s annual meeting on Friday.
During the turbulent meeting in Birmingham, during which shareholders rejected a plan which could have split the bank in two, proceedings were interrupted by protesters who claimed the bank was the “chief arsonist” of the climate crisis.
One man said: “Our grandchildren will inherit a polluted planet and they will curse us for it. This is a disgrace and you should be ashamed.
“You are the chief arsonists — this organisation has been described as a financial arson organisation and you are the chief arsonist.
“I don't know how you sleep at night knowing that millions of people are going to starve to death because of the investments that this bank is making.”
Several other protesters stood up, one by one, minutes apart, expressing similar terms.
Eventually, chairman Mark Tucker and chief executive Noel Quinn asked security to escort the protesters from the room.
“Thank you for your patience. Security are resolving the situation,” Mr Tucker told shareholders.
One protester accused the bank of funding a company which was bulldozing a village in Germany to expand a coal mine.
Outside the meeting, one protester wearing a suit was pictured sitting in a green bath which had a sign reading: “HSBC greenwashing” on its side.
The man was covered in green paint and surrounded by protesters dressed as cleaners. A green flare was let off.
During the meeting, Mr Tucker urged shareholders to vote against a plan that would split the company in two.
He said that the board had considered the proposal “carefully and fully”, but said they felt it would destroy value at the bank.
“Last year, with the benefit of expert advice from third parties, the board considered a wide range of alternative structural options for your bank in depth,” he said.
“We concluded that the alternative structural options would materially destroy value for shareholders, including putting your dividends at risk. This remains our unanimous view today.”
The resolution, to spin off the company's Asian arm, was proposed by a group which has backing from Ping An, HSBC's largest shareholders.
Shareholders voted against the resolution, according to preliminary results released by the bank.
