WORCESTER, Mass. - Moe Bergman has seen a lot in his 10-plus years as a Worcester city councilor, but a rise in hate speech both in and out of public meetings is not something he expected.

"So I think there's a heightened tension everywhere," Bergman said. "Some kind of high level of emotion that takes place in this building in a way that I haven't seen."

Bergman was one of numerous councilors to receive fliers that carried antisemitic, homophobic and transphobic remarks. He said they came from a group in California.

Bergman is Jewish, and describes the situation as shocking but, unfortunately, not surprising.

"It's disappointing, it's hurtful," Bergman said. "I understand the wide breath of First Amendment rights. I can't say there is anything illegal about what was sent. But it's certainly not in the spirit of what I expect to receive from my mailman or mailperson in Worcester."

The pieces of mail follow offensive comments used in a late January city council meeting, where a speaker referred to members of the trans community as "Homosexual men."

The New England branch of the Anti-Defamation League condemned the piece of mail. They say in the last decade, there has been a "tsunami" of hate speech, especially antisemitism, and it continues to grow.

"Hate thrives in the face of fear and in the face of silence," said Ron Fish, interim regional director for ADL New England. "We need to raise up our voices together and say this is unacceptable."

Several councilors, including Thu Nguyen, also were on the receiving end of the mailers. Nguyen aired frustrations on social media, saying in part, "This is outrageously disgusting, we condemn this level of hate. It has no place anywhere and absolutely not in politics despite these folks targeting us."

"Words sometimes lead to action," Bergman said. "So, you can't dismiss what's happening. But at the same time, you can't be paranoid and we have to realize that we live in a great city."