Freedom has always been illegal, and only criminals are free. No one needs a leader to be free. All one needs to do to be free is not obey overlords.

You can't do that legally. Any leader that pops up will draw fire. Overlords and their minions cannot direct fire at non-targets, so decentralized freedom remains the best option, and more so the more centralized tyranny is.

Each of the protesters actually has a leadership role IMHO. Leading their own lives.