Small business owners descend on the square in front of the Vekrhovna Rada for a rally in support of a new tax legislation #5866-1 what can take the heat off their struggling businesses.

The rally brought together some several hundred people who hold placards ‘Axe the draconian fines killing small businesses’, ‘Getmantsev is the enemy of people’.

The crowd chanted slogans urging Ukrainian MPs to bring back simplified tax reporting policy.

The protesters want lawmakers to walk back on 2019 tax policy update that requires small businesses to use POS systems or cash registers for keeping records of their transactions. According to the rally organizers, new fiscal penalties over POS requirements come as another hit to small businesses trying to stay afloat amid the pandemic.

The crowd eventually spilled in Grushevkyi Street blocking traffic near the Verkhovna Rada.

The rally that brought a heavy police presence to Kyiv centre though had no reports of violence and arrests.

The controversial tax policy was adopted by the Verkovna Rada in 2019 after some political wrangling and got a transition period ending this January. The policy was pushed for by Servant of the People senior MP Denys Getmantsev who argued it would make taxation schemes transparent and help deter cash register manipulations.

UPD

Later in the day, small scuffles broke out  after some protesters confronted police and tried to break into the parliament. Police had to use tear gas and detained two protestors.