You're reading: Tax protests gain strength in Ukraine

Several thousand Ukrainian businessmen are protesting a bill that would increase taxes for small and medium size enterprises, saying it would bankrupt them.

Monday’s rally on Kyiv’s central square is the latest in a series of demonstrations that are the largest outpouring of protest since Viktor Yanukovych was inaugurated as president in February.

The government says it needs to adopt the new tax law to fill state coffers after a severe recession. Some experts say the law would cripple the middle class and fuel corruption by tax police.

Parliament passed the tax bill last week and Yanukovych is now considering whether to sign it into law.