British police on Thursday arrested nine climate protesters who broke windows at the headquarters of HSBC bank in London's Canary Wharf financial district. The Metropolitan Police said officers were called just after seven am (0600 GMT) "to reports of a group of protestors causing criminal damage to a building". "Nine women... have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and remain in police custody." Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion claimed responsibility for the action, saying the women broke the glass using hammers and chisels. "Despite HSBC's pledge to shrink its carbon footprint to net zero by 2050, their current climate plan still allows the bank to finance coal power, and provides no basis to turn away clients or cancel contracts based on links to the fossil fuel industry," the group said in a statement. London mayoral candidate for political party Burning Pink, Valerie Brown, 68, was among the protestors. "We will not stand by whilst you invest in runaway greed, whilst people's lives are being shattered by the fossil fuel industries," she said. jwp/phz/bp