FGD135
Question for the Airbus drivers: would these pitch-downs have still occurred with the autopilots disengaged?
Yes
If yes, then what about in alternate law?
Unders some conditions, yes.
Can the computers be manually switched to alternate law?
Yes they can. What would be better is switching all the primary computers off and using the secondaries in "direct law". There are no protections in direct law therefore no chance of dud input data sending the flight controls into heart failure.