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Barclays AGM interrupted by activists protesting over Gaza

Barclays' yearly investor meeting was disrupted by activists objecting against its alleged indirect links to violence in Gaza, with the bank's chair telling security staff to eject them from the occasion in Glasgow on Thursday.

We are totally prepared to respond to questions on this subject but there is no point participating in loudspeaker diplomacy, Higgins informed protesters, who were led out of the event.

Barclays said last week it did not invest its own cash in business that provide weapons used by Israel in Gaza, and it just trades shares in such companies on behalf of customers.

President C.S. Venkatakrishnan urged activists to reserve their questions up until later in the conference as he attempted to attend to investors.

Blood on your hands, activists yelled at the bank's. leaders as they attempted to continue the conference.

Barclays has dealt with comparable disruption to financier conferences. in recent years, especially over its climate policies.

A group of 24 financiers with $1.24 trillion in properties under. management, including the Church of England Pensions Board and. Rathbones Group, called on Barclays in a letter to restrict. finance to all companies specifically concentrated on nonrenewable fuel source. extraction, and to broaden its dedication to limit fracking. funding to consist of the U.S. in addition to Britain and Europe.

The bank in February dedicated to end direct financing to. new oil and gas fields and to limit lending more broadly to. energy companies broadening fossil fuel production.

But NGO ShareAction, which collaborated the letter, stated that. still implied the majority of the bank's loaning to fracking could. continue.

Reacting to a question on fracking, Higgins said the. bank's relationships with fracking business underwent. boosted due diligence and neighborhood engagement.

The conference comes after Barclays on April 25 reported its. very first quarter earnings decently overshot expectations regardless of a. depression in trading earnings, providing some hope its turnaround. strategies are on track.

Barclays is attempting to restore financier faith in its. universal banking business model after years of share rate. underperformance, clashes with activists over the function of its. investment bank, and management turnover.

The path to higher, more sustainable returns will be long,. Venkatakrishnan informed the investor conference.