KIEV, Dec. 5 – Hundreds of riot police surrounded protesting small business owners early morning on Friday before municipal employees moved in to dismantle their camp in downtown Kiev.

Protesters said they could not use their mobile phones during the police attack as cell phone networks were apparently jammed or down, perhaps indicating a carefully staged operation.

The authorities moved to disperse the protesters and to shut down their protest camp immediately after President Viktor Yanukovych signed amended tax legislation, providing some concessions to small businesses.

The development puts an end to the protest rally that had lasted for almost two weeks and had been originally aimed an increased tax pressure on small businesses.

Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister and the leader of the largest opposition party Batkivshchyna, criticized the move.

“This is an abuse over the people and over democracy,” Tymoshenko said in a statement.

Yanukovych, in comments over the action, said it was in line with democratic principles.

“These actions were in line with democracy, because abiding the laws is a mandatory for everybody,” Yanukovych said. “Today a Christmas Tree is being set up on the same place in Kiev [protesters] had their tents and very soon people will begin to celebrate the New Year.”

The protest began on Nov. 22 as a spontaneous reaction to the Tax Code, which was approved by Parliament on Nov. 18. The protesters complained that the code was reducing taxes on big corporations, but increasing pressure on small businesses.

About 1 million small business jobs may be lost in Ukraine after the new tax legislation is enacted, mostly because new taxes and bribes are often making operation unprofitable, according to opposition lawmakers.

Yielding to pressure from the protesters, Yanukovych vetoed the Tax Code on Tuesday, and submitted the new draft - with amendments providing some concessions to small businesses - to Parliament on Thursday.

Parliament approved the new Tax Code by 268 votes in the 450-seat Parliament without debate and by a single vote on Thursday. The law was immediately signed by Yanukovych.

Several trucks with Christmas trees to be used for assembling a big tree are currently standing at Maydan Nezalezhnosti square in Kiev, in addition to several New Year attractions that may be assembled for children. Heavy police forces are still surrounding the area, which was cleared of the protesters.