A LEFT-WING news outlet has been left with "no alternative" but to suspend all operations after it allegedly had a second bank account frozen with no explanation.
The Canary has claimed that a number of staff were unable to be paid for the month of August after Metro Bank "blocked" their account.
It comes after Lloyds Banking Group reportedly froze its account with Canary in June, with the outlet claiming the bank "has not explained why it has taken this action".
At the time, Lloyds declined to offer explanation when approached by The National, saying the organisation does "not comment on individual customer accounts".
In a statement on the Canary's website on Friday, the outlet said: "Recent events have created circumstances in which we have been left with no responsible alternative but to suspend the Canary’s operations with immediate effect.
"This is not a decision we have taken lightly, nor is it a decision caused by any failure of the Canary or its leadership.
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"It is the direct consequence of the debanking of the Canary’s funds, the resulting financial disruption, and the serious internal consequences that followed."
The outlet said it has "faced sustained attacks from both the political right and left, alongside repeated attempts to undermine our organisation and restrict our ability to operate".
"We have seen members of our team targeted through their social media accounts, including accounts being hacked, restricted, or removed," the statement said.
"Canary workers have been arrested, with another being assaulted by a far-right Zionist at a protest. Two others were attacked by the Israeli Defence Forces in southern Lebanon."
The Canary said it had to cancel projects as a result of funds being withheld, with staff experiencing delays in receiving their wages.
The outlet described the decision to suspend operations as "a necessary step to protect what remains of the Canary and to give us the opportunity to rebuild on a stable foundation".
The statement concluded: "This is not the end of the Canary. It is a moment in which we take stock, protect our people and prepare for what comes next.
"We have faced attacks before. We have been targeted before. We have been told, directly and indirectly, that our work should stop.
"We are still here. And we intend to remain here."
Commenting, investigative journalist Paul Holden – who exposed electoral breaches by the Labour Together think tank – described Canary's decision as "utterly chilling" and "an outrageous assault of free speech and media independence".
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He said: "The Canary is a legitimate media outlet, independently regulated, and is being driven out of business. This will put its journalists in a position of serious hardship as they can't be paid.
"And the crazy thing is that they don't even know why the accounts are being closed and have no way of rebutting evidence they can't see!"
Holden added: "This is the second time The Canary has been targeted by phantom allegations made by faceless actors. This absolutely STINKS of political targeting.
"A country that shuts down journalism challenging the status quo and putting grannies in prison for holding signs... where are we going?"
Metro Bank has been approached for comment.
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