REVERE, MASS. (WHDH) - Officials asked drivers to temporarily avoid part of Route 1A in Revere on Tuesday, all due to a crowd that gathered by the Wonderland Marketplace following Morocco’s victory over Spain in World Cup play.
Massachusetts State Police said Route 1A in the area of the 151 VFW Parkway was closed to traffic around 3 p.m. due to a large crowd that had formed during the afternoon.
In a social media post, the MSP account asked that drivers seek alternate routes “until normal traffic patterns are restored.”
While officials did not say why the crowd had gathered or what they were doing, a SKY7 camera spotted hundreds of people wearing red, crowding by the roadway while hoisting up Moroccan flags and cheering.
The gathering was occurring at the same time thousands of people across the globe were celebrating the Moroccan national team’s unlikely win over Spain in the World Cup, beating the favorites in the Round of 16 in a penalty kick shootout.
Following Tuesday’s win, the Moroccan men’s squad became the first Arab national team in WC history to advance to the quarterfinals, and only the fourth African country to do so after beating Spain 3-0 in the shootout.
State police later said by 4 p.m., Route 1A was back open to traffic.
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More aerial footage of the Moroccan team fans who came out on Tuesday can be found here:
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