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With French police suicides on the rise, officials are expressing shock and anger after some yellow vest protesters encouraged police to kill themselves.

Radical protesters have clashed with police nearly every weekend for five months on the margins of largely peaceful yellow vest demonstrations for economic justice.

On Saturday, Associated Press reporters heard some protesters in Paris shouting "Kill yourselves!" at police firing tear gas and rubber projectiles and charging the crowd to contain the violence.

Police unions denounced the protesters' call, which prompted indignation online. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner called it a "disgrace."

Police unions held silent protests Friday after two officers killed themselves last week. Unions say police ranks have seen 28 suicides so far this year, compared to 68 over all of 2018.