President Obama Talks Civic Engagement at SXSW

President Obama traveled to Austin, Texas on Friday to participate in the annual South by Southwest Interactive festival.

The president will sit down with the Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Tribune, Evan Smith, for a discussion about using technology to get more Americans interested in participating in the political process and tackling issues like climate change.

The South by Southwest festival is an annual gathering of innovators in music, film, and technology; this is the event’s 30th year.

In the background of this years’ festival is the implementation of a new Texas open-carry law. Though the festival is private and has a policy that bans weapons from its facilities, a local gun group has plans to gather outside of the complex to demonstrate that open-carry laws shouldn’t be a cause of concern. The Secret Service says it’s taking necessary precaution.