Hong Kong's embattled leader abandoned a State of the Union-style speech today after she was heckled by rowdy opposition lawmakers during chaotic scenes inside the city's legislature.<br />''<br />'' The speech by Chief Executive Carrie Lam was billed as an attempt to win hearts and minds after four months of seething pro-democracy protests. But, it instead laid bare the intense polarisation coursing through the semi-autonomous financial hub after weeks of huge and increasingly violent rallies.<br />'' <br />'' Lam, who has historic low approval ratings, tried twice to begin her policy address inside the Legislative Council which had opened for a new session some three months after it was trashed by masked protesters. But, pro-democracy lawmakers, a minority of the pro-Beijing stacked legislature, shouted her down. <br />'' <br />'' One used a projector to broadcast protest slogans behind Lam as she stood on the podium, and later donned a face mask of Chinese President Xi Jinping.<br />'' <br />'' Lam instead released a pre-recorded video, the first time a Hong Kong leader has been unable to deliver the annual address in person since the tradition began in 1948.<br />''  <br />