KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A federal magistrate judge has recommended against dismissal of charges against three protesters who entered property of the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported the recommendation is contained in a newly released report by Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley Jr.

Attorneys for Greg Boertje-Obed, Michael Walli and Megan Rice argued in a Nov. 20 motion hearing for dismissal of charges against their clients. The hearing came before a superseding indictment was returned, elevating charges against the protesters.

The protesters have repeatedly said they cut through fences to reach the storage facility for weapons-grade uranium on July 28, splashing human blood onto it. However they claim the work at the plant is illegal under U.S. and international law.