Torah scroll (illustration)
Torah scroll (illustration)iStock

The Torah scrolls were removed from a Beverly Hills synagogue to protect them from the riots which have rocked the US since the murder of an African American man in police custody in Minneapolis.

The measure was taken days after another Los Angeles synagogue was vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti.

The graffiti was found on the wall of Congregation Beth Israel, one of the oldest synagogues in Los Angeles, in the Fairfax District and read "F-Israel, Free Palestine."

Thousands have taken to the streets across the US in protest against the death of George Floyd in police custody.

Derek Chauvin, the policeman videotaped pressing down on Floyd's neck, was arrested and charged with third-degree murder, Minneapolis authorities reported over the weekend.

Many protests have turned violent, with attacks on police and looting. 11 people have been killed in the riots. Dozens of cities across the US, including New York City, have declared curfews in an effort to stem the violence.