Posters attacking Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz have caught the attention of police and the B'nai Brith.

Police in Winnipeg said Saturday they are looking into a complaint about posters put up in the city's downtown area with messages attacking the integrity of Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz.

David Matas, from B'nai Brith, told CBC News he has seen images of the posters and the message is anti-Semitic and amounts to a hate crime.

According to a police news release, officers were dispatched after receiving a complaint around 9:30 p.m. CT Friday about "questionable or inappropriate posters" that had been put up in the downtown area.

"Officers located … posters making allegations that Mayor Katz and members of Winnipeg’s business community are involved in questionable business transactions," the news release said, noting the posters were displayed in public spaces.

The police release did not include any images of the posters.

Police noted the messages were not signed and they did not say how many posters the officers found.

Vic Toews 'disgusted'

The content of the posters also caught the attention of Vic Toews, the member of Parliament for Manitoba's Provencher riding and the federal minister of public safety.

"I was shocked and disgusted to learn of the anti-Semitic posters that were put up throughout downtown Winnipeg late last night," Toews said in a news release Saturday.

"It is extremely disheartening to see this type of conduct take place in Canada, especially on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish New Year."

Toews said Canadians have "no tolerance for anti-Semitism of any kind and today I continue to stand with the Jewish community in Winnipeg."

The investigation was continuing and police were asking anyone with information about the posters to contact them.