President Obama’s Facebook Town Hall in pictures

President Obama stopped in at Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto today for one of his Town Hall meetings.

This meeting, dubbed Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity, focused on the future of the technology industry, education, the budget, funding for research and the role of immigration. Obama took questions from guests and the public online in an hour-long Q&A.

VIPs, including senior politicians and Silicon Valley management, arrived with some very professional looking security early on.

 

 

 

 

 

Facebook staff filled every available crevice of the hall for a chance to hear the president speak. There were more than a few cameras being carried in by the lucky few.

 

 

 

 

The regular White House press contingent looks less than impressed with the whole arrangement. Predominantly based in Washington, they'd had a late flight to get here.

 

 

 

 

Security was tight, with lots of dark-suited watchful men with very visible earpieces.

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees may have been told to get ready nearly an hour early, but when the VIPs start arriving things are ready to kick off. Surprisingly MC Hammer was one of the first to arrive.

 

 

 

 

Gavin Newsom, California's Lieutenant Governor, was joined by Nancy Pelosi, minority leader of the US House of Representatives.

 

 

 

 

 

The event kicked off quickly, both men walking swiftly on stage, losing their jackets and getting down to business. A visibly nervous Mark Zuckerberg swigs from his water bottle.

 

 

 

 

Obama began the meeting with a little joke, pointing out when he first met Zuckerberg the chief executive was visibly uncomfortable in a shirt and tie. Now he and Zuckerberg were the only two people wearing them.

 

 

 

 

In discussions over the differences between Democratic and Republican priorities the president was robust, saying the opposition wished to "change the social contract".

 

 

 

 

After an hour's discussion Obama walked one side of the arena greeting fans before waving goodbye and disappearing off to a fundraising dinner where every guest is paying £38,500 to eat, and listen.