Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam was heckled Wednesday by pro-democracy lawmakers, causing her to abandon her annual address, in which she was expected to withdraw the extradition bill that has sparked months of unrest.

Lam eventually had to deliver her speech by way of a video link after the opposition lawmakers twice disrupted her, shouting, climbing on tables and projecting slogans chanted by the Hong Kong protesters behind her.

The chaos short-circuited the ability of the Legislative Council to formally withdraw the bill.

It had been suspended in July, but Wednesday’s meeting was the first chance for lawmakers to take it up because the protesters have been disrupting the legislative body.

The demonstrations began over the extradition bill — which would allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China to stand trial in Communist Party courts — in March and quickly expanded, leading to mass demonstrations and clashes between protesters and the police.

Opponents are demanding more democratic reforms, including expanded voting rights, and investigations into use of excessive force by police who used tear gas and rubber bullets to quell the unrest.

The Beijing-backed Lam in her policy address did not apologize for the tactics.

“Any acts that advocate Hong Kong’s independence and threaten the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests will not be tolerated,” she said.

“Despite the stormy times and overwhelming difficulties Hong Kong is experiencing, I believe that so long as we accurately adhere to the principle of ‘one country, two systems,’ we will be able to get out of the impasse.”

The reference was to the policy that granted Hong Kong a measure of autonomy after Britain returned the city to Chinese rule in 1997.

But protesters argue that China is trying to erode those freedoms.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Tanya Chan called for Lam to step down.

“Both her hands are soaked with blood. We hope Carrie Lam withdraws and quits,” Chan told reporters.

With Post wires